Russian Foreign Policy

В статье представлены результаты комплексного сравнительного семиотического анализа образов Южной Осетии и Косова в российском внешнеполитическом дискурсе. Детально исследовав семантические, синтаксические и прагматические аспекты репрезентации этих государственных образований в официальных российских текстах, И. Фомин показывает, как влияет на дискурсивно конструируемые образы факт признания/непризнания государств и какими дискурсивными средствами могут дифференцироваться схожие ситуации сецессии.

The current tensions in Ukraine have generated speculation about the security of Russian gas supplies to the EU via Ukraine. This short article analyses the likelihood of a suspension of Russian gas supplies via Ukraine and the impact of such a suspension on EU gas imports. We find that a suspension of gas transit is far from inevitable, but given the current circumstances cannot be ruled out. The impact of such a suspension would disproportionately affect Central and South-East Europe, with Western Europe having sufficient access to alternative supplies. Most EU member states in Central and South-East Europe currently lacks alternative supplies, but have sufficient gas storage  to cope with a disruption of gas supplies last one or two months. In this regard, Bulgaria remains vulnerable as the only EU member state in this region that has neither sufficient gas storage nor access to alternative supplies.

"• The calm before the storm: Gazprom fails to assuage EU concerns over pricing as EU continues preparing statement of objections in antitrust investigation
• Gazprom set to extend contract with Greece
• Gazprom agrees to withdraw from management of Amber Grid, and offers Lithuania lower gas price
• Russian loan to Ukraine strongly tied to Naftogaz’s debt to Gazprom
• Nord Stream AG complete feasibility study for expansion, with UK as target market
• South Stream consortium signs pipe supply contract for offshore section as Gazprom presses ahead with the project, despite uncertainties
• Gazprom and Shell sign roadmap for third LNG train at Sakhalin-II
• Gazprom HQ could relocate from Moscow to St Petersburg by 2015"

"• EU continues to prepare Statement of Objections despite Gazprom’s December proposals for an early settlement
• Gazprom breaks record in gas exports to Europe in 2013 with 16 percent y-o-y increase in gas export volumes
• Gazprom-OMV contractual adjustments ‘unaffected’ by EU antimonopoly investigation
• Dutch gas production set to decline in 2014-15 – Could Gazprom fill the gap?
• Putin outlines Russia’s position regarding Ukraine: the gas debt still needs to be paid and the Russian government is prepared to work with whoever is in power in Ukraine
• Nord Stream: EU and Gazprom agree on full use of OPAL pipeline
• EU and Russia continue to negotiate over the application of Third Party Access legislation to the South Stream project
• Gazprom plans to sign deal with CNPC (China) in May, during Putin visit to China
• Gazprom completes 100 percent takeover of ArmRosGazprom (Armenia)
• Gazprom adds fifth tanker to its LNG carrier fleet"

"• Gazprom prepares to settle in EU Antitrust investigation
• Gazprom finalises asset-swap with BASF Wintershall, with deal approved by EU competition watchdog
• Russia offers Ukraine 33 percent discount on gas price as part of package designed to keep Ukraine in Russia’s political orbit
• Nord Stream: EU and Gazprom to agree terms for use of OPAL pipeline in early 2014
• South Stream faces legal hurdles as European Commission claims aspects of South Stream’s intergovernmental agreements are in breach of EU law
• Gazprom fails to conclude deal with CNPC before year end
• Gazprom opens representative office in Brussels"

The place of Europe in post-Cold War national mythologies of different countries varies widely. In three arguably most dramatic examples, Poland rethought itself as “the somehow decentred heart of Catholic Europe” (Dayan & Katz, 1994, p. 166), while Russia gave reasons to conclude it “leaves the West” (Trenin, 2006, p. 87) and Ukraine stuck with its view of Europe as a normative example (Orlova, 2010, p. 26). To what extent this remains true if one is to look empirically at the discourses that currently inhabit news media? This paper points out to how narratives of Europe are instrumentalised in political discussions in the three counties that followed very different paths since the collapse of the communist bloc. The presentation includes results of qualitative analysis based on an open coding approach; the focus rests on the most prestigious news outlets (Rzeczpospolita, Gazeta wyborcza; Izvestiya, Kommersant; Dzerkalo tyzhnia, Korrespondent) but also includes important online blog platforms.