A Bear in the Desert: How Putin Justified the Russian Military Intervention in Syria

Abstract

This paper studies how the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, justified the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war and compares the arguments he used in the domestic and in the international contexts. Relying on discourse analysis, this research project systematically analyses 133 speeches made by the Russian President between 2011 and 2021. It identifies the main themes that emerge from these speeches and illustrates in three word clouds how Putin articulates his rationale depending on the audience. Among other things, this project finds that in a domestic context, Putin mainly framed the intervention as an anti-terrorist operation that prevented terrorists from coming to Russia. In parallel, when he spoke to an international audience, he emphasized the importance of international cooperation and the need to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis. This paper deconstructs these arguments that form Putin’s narrative and examines the underlying ideas and interests. It also links them to the broader international context which has been marked by increasing tensions between Russia and the West following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea. Overall, this Major Research Project contributes to the academic knowledge on how Putin uses narratives and ideas to justify military actions outside of Russia’s borders. Keywords: Russia, Putin, Syria, Middle East, intervention, justification, discourse, audience.