A comparative analysis of the foreign policy discourses of Russia and the United States from 2012 to 2016

Abstract

The Syrian Civil War has dominated US-Russian relations from its inception in 2011 to the present day. The same period has been characterized by geopolitical rivalry and clashing visions between the two countries. In large part, the US and Russia have played critical roles in the Syrian civil war, and their interaction in the UN Security Council has defined the development of the conflict. The discourses developed by the two sides in relation to Syria led to both cooperation and disagreement. This thesis analyzes the discursive elements that led to passed and vetoed resolutions on Syria in the UN Security Council. The timeline of the thesis is from 2011 to the end of 2016. Using mixed methods approach combining discourse analysis theory and statistical analysis using the AntConc program, the thesis determines and compares the integral elements of both countries positions in the UNSC, assesses which elements led to cooperation and which led to conflict, and provides an assessment for possible future avenues for bilateral cooperation on Syria. The analysis determines the central story lines, metaphors, and floating signifiers of the discursive struggle. The thesis leads to the conclusion that discursive conflicts defined the US-Russia interaction on Syria, and that despite periods of cooperation, relations returned to their base status of confrontation in the sphere of discourse. The main cause for the failure of the US and Russia to find a diplomatic solution was found to be the consistency with which the two sides stuck to the story lines and signifiers that they established in in the early days of the conflict.

The Syrian Civil War has dominated US-Russian relations from its inception in 2011 to the present day. The same period has been characterized by geopolitical rivalry and clashing visions between the two countries. In large part, the US and Russia have played critical roles in the Syrian civil war, and their interaction in the UN Security Council has defined the development of the conflict. The discourses developed by the two sides in relation to Syria led to both cooperation and disagreement. This thesis analyzes the discursive elements that led to passed and vetoed resolutions on Syria in the UN Security Council. The timeline of the thesis is from 2011 to the end of 2016. Using mixed methods approach combining discourse analysis theory and statistical analysis using the AntConc program, the thesis determines and compares the integral elements of both countries positions in the UNSC, assesses which elements led to cooperation and which led to conflict, and provides an assessment for possible future avenues for bilateral cooperation on Syria. The analysis determines the central story lines, metaphors, and floating signifiers of the discursive struggle. The thesis leads to the conclusion that discursive conflicts defined the US-Russia interaction on Syria, and that despite periods of cooperation, relations returned to their base status of confrontation in the sphere of discourse. The main cause for the failure of the US and Russia to find a diplomatic solution was found to be the consistency with which the two sides stuck to the story lines and signifiers that they established in in the early days of the conflict.