14 November 2023
08:30 Europe/Oslo
Event
The Russia Conference 2023: Russia and the West – a new reality
Join us on 14 November for the annual Russia Conference!
Language: English and Norwegian
Sentralen
Seminar
The conference is now full, but you can follow us online at the bottom of this page!
Russia’s antagonistic relations with the West have surged over time, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine causing a near complete rupture. In this year’s Annual Russia Conference, we examine the worsening spiral of relations since 2014.
What has been the impact of words and language use? Is political rhetoric merely propaganda or has official rhetoric mattered on a more fundamental level? More concretely and for the future, what are the trade-offs between threat of force and talk across the table in Russia-West relations? Finally, given Russia's war against Ukraine, what are the prospects for Russia–Europe relations?
This year’s conference is also the capstone conference for the NUPI led project When every act is war – post-Crimea conflict dynamics and Russian foreign policy (WARU).
PROGRAMME:
| 08:30 | Opening and welcome | |
| By NUPI Director Kari M. Osland | ||
| 08:35 | Opening speech | |
| By the Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide | ||
| 08:50 | Introducing the conference | |
| By NUPI Research Professor Julie Wilhelmsen | ||
| 09:00 | Discussion I: Do words matter in Russia-West relations? | |
| This discussion will address how Russia and the West have related to each other in recent years, through the prism of their rhetoric about each other. Zooming in on Russian rhetoric and action, this panel will discuss Russia’s interpretation of colour revolutions, Western ‘double standards’, and specific foreign policy discourses and practices. What are the implications? How to distinguish between ‘propaganda’ and ‘worldview’? Does language use and rhetorical interaction matter? | ||
Participants:
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| 09:55 | Coffee break | |
| 10:10 | Discussion II: Confrontation and diplomacy in Russia-West relations | |
| This discussion will address strategies of force, support and diplomacy in Russia-West relations following Russia’s war on Ukraine from 2014. A downward spiral in Russia-West relations has resulted in a near total lack of trust and communication. Following Russia’s invasion in 2022, diplomacy seems to have become obsolete. Speakers will discuss the current US debate on how to deal with Russia and the war in Ukraine, whether Russia can compromise, and consider the scope and prospects for diplomacy within the current great power context. | ||
Participants:
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| 11:05 | Short brake | |
| 11:15 | Keynote speech: Is Ukraine part of the West now, and could Russia accept it? | |
| Professor Karina Korostelina (George Mason University) delivers the keynote speech followed by a conversation with moderator Åsne Seierstad. | ||
| 11:35 | Discussion III: The Future of Russia-Europe relations | |
| This discussion develops Korostelina’s keynote further by examining the issues and stakeholders that shape future Russia-Europe relations. How complete is the break in Russia-EU relations? How do young Russians and Europeans relate to each other? What role do civil society actors play in Russia-Europe relations? Will relations in the High North follow a different pattern from elsewhere along the new Russia-NATO border? | ||
Participants:
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| 12:25 | Conclusion |
Related projects
Research project
2020 - 2024 (Completed)
When every act is war: Post-Crimea conflict dynamics and Russian foreign policy (WARU)
Tension between great powers in world politics is escalating rapidly. What are the driving forces behind deteriorating relations? Can we explain them solely by the ‘aggressiveness’ of the other (be th...
14 November 2023
08:30 Europe/Oslo
Language: English and Norwegian
Sentralen
Seminar