Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on tracing the mutually-constituted relationship between Russian state identity and security discourses, both foreign and domestic, since Vladimir Putin came to power. The analysis focuses primarily on policy documents, statements, speeches, articles and interviews that had a strong resonance within the official discourse, which were identified as such by an ongoing review of both primary sources and the secondary literature. The book focuses on official discourse; these interviews provided important background knowledge from which the contextual significance embedded within these discourses could be reassembled. It demonstrates the way in which this approach can be operationalized in relation to three concepts, considered key for this study: weak/strong states, internal/external security, and securitization/desecuritization. The book outlines the conclusions reached from the tracing of Russian state identity, security and Chechnya policy discourse across the period from 1999 to 2014.