Why Putin Decided to go to War Against Ukraine? : A Critical Discourse Analysis of Putin’s Discourse

This thesis explains Putin’s motive to go to war against Ukraine. Specifically, I studied the roleof ideology, identity, discourse, othering, and the social construction of reality in this war. Incontrast to other analyses, I consider materialism and geopolitics not important variables thatcan best explain the reason behind the Russian war against Ukraine.I have used critical discourse analysis to analyse four different discourses by Putin from1999-2022. My findings suggest that Putin produces a discourse to convince Russians that heis the best leader for them and increase his legitimacy. This strategy is conducted by sociallycreating the West as the “enemy” of Russians by constantly using discourse that is attackingand discrediting the West who aims to impose abnormal and unacceptable values in the Russiansociety to destroy Russia from “within”. However, If democracy could prosper in a countrywhere ordinary Russians have a cultural, linguistic and historical affinity, then it could succeedin Russia as well. And this, according to my social constructivist perspective, what pushedPutin to go to war against the rising democracy in Ukraine