Russia\u27s Agenda For Ukraine: An Examination Of Putin\u27s Media Propaganda Narratives

This thesis explores Russian discourse about Ukraine as reflected in Russian popular media since 2014’s Euromaidan Revolution. The thesis provides an overview of Russia’s historic denial of Ukrainian statehood and it argues: Russian historians and politicians have seen Ukraine as a “little-brother” nation to Russia, with a shared Slavic heritage, and that any attempts by Ukrainians to separate themselves from Russia are Western influence movements. The thesis examines three types of mass media in order to demonstrate the interaction between history, politics and popular culture. Chapter 1 explores the public speeches of key Russian political figures including Vladimir Putin himself, alongside State Duma MP Natalia Poklonskaya, and presidential adviser Sergei Glazyev. In Chapter 2, I analyze three popular nonfiction books published since 2014 that pertain to the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine. Finally in Chapter 3 I discuss three war films about the relationship between Russia and Ukraine through their visuals, effects and dramatizations