The Russian dilemma: identity construction toward the BRICS

Abstract

Russia faces an internal dilemma while projecting its identity toward the BRICS. The literature on the country identity suggests that it manifests both an imperial and great powerness self-perception, but in this case, Russia is dealing with a group with a solid postcolonial set of values. The poststructuralist discourse analysis was the primary method for analyzing the country's instrumentalization of that dichotomy and the outcomes for Russian identity construction. The gathered data consists of the public and official discourses of both Russia and the BRICS during its regular and extraordinary meetings. It was possible to indicate that the country shows evidence of an attempt to engage its objectives in the group's agenda by the projection of its identity toward the group. The study also shows that Russia is under the effects of Othering with the BRICS. In which the contact with the group identity is also shaping the country's identity. The conclusion is that Russia is developing a pragmatic approach to postcolonial narratives to advance its agenda, but the country was not able to construct a solid leadership in the BRICS.