Abstract

President Putin’s Crimea Speech of 18th March 2014 represents a pivotal moment in the
development of the post-Soviet world. Marking the annexation of Crimea by Russia, the speech,
whilst containing elements familiar from Putin’s discourse in recent years, simultaneously changed fundamental assumptions about Russia’s place in the world order. Analysed from the perspective of political narrative, Putin’s speech shows marked differences from the standard narrative employed since he came to power in 2000. Aside from the momentous international impact that they represent, these differences have opened up a new complexity and uncertainty in Russia’s domestic politics.