Moskova'nın Stratejik Anlatısı ve COVID-19 Pandemisi: Aşı ve Prestij Arayışı

Abstract

Batı karşıtı bir dış politika gündemine ve hegemonya karşıtı söyleme sahip bir Avrasya gücü olarak Rusya, COVID-19 pandemisinin ölümcül etkilerini yok etmek için bir aşı geliştirmeye çalışmıştır. Bu girişim, büyük bir güç olduğu iddiasındaki Rusya için aynı zamanda onur ve prestij meselesi olarak görülmüştür. Salgınla mücadele, ulusal düzeyde örgütlendiği ve siyasi bir karaktere sahip olduğu için küresel bir çabaya dönüşemezken Kremlin, Batı’nın normatif üstünlük retoriğini zayıflatmayı amaçlayan bir başarı anlatısı ile sadece bilimsel değil, düşünsel anlamda da Batı’ya meydan okumuştur. Günümüz Rus dış politikası, Batı hakimiyetindeki uluslararası sistemin gücünü ve kalıcılığını sorgulayan ve Rusya ile Çin için daha büyük bir rol öngören bir anlatıya dayanmaktadır.
Makale dört bölümden oluşmaktadır. İlk bölüm, demokratik liberal modelin üstünlüğünü sorgulayan “yükselen Rusya” anlatısını ele almaktadır. Bu anlatı ile Kremlin, otoriter rejimine yöneltilen eleştirilere bir karşı argüman geliştirmekle kalmıyor, aynı zamanda küresel sorunlara karşı savaşmak için modası geçmiş olduğunu iddia ettiği Batılı demokrasilere karşı agresif bir duruş da sergilemektedir. İkinci bölüm, pandemi döneminde Rusya’nın stratejik anlatısını nasıl kullandığını tartışmaktadır. Üçüncü bölüm Moskova’nın dünyada işe yarayan ilk aşıyı geliştirme gayretini incelemektedir. Aşı yarışı sadece bilimsel veya halk sağlığı ile ilgili bir mesele olmaktan çok, küresel siyasette prestij kazanmak için girişilen söylemsel rekabetin bir parçası haline gelmiştir. Makalenin son bölümü, Kremlin’in pandemi döneminde yerli ve yabancı izleyicileri ikna etmeyi amaçlayan anlatısının güçlü ve zayıf yönlerini değerlendirmektedir. 

Keywords

• Rus dış politikası
• COVID-19 pandemisi
• Sputnik V
• Uluslararası düzen
• Stratejik anlatı

Moscow’s Strategic Narrative and the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Quest for Vaccine and Prestige

Abstract

Russia, a Eurasian power with an anti-Western foreign policy agenda and a counter-hegemonic discourse, made an important attempt to develop a reliable vaccine, a key to fixing the deadly effects of the pandemic, and a matter of honor and prestige for a great power. While fighting the pandemic could not turn into a global effort because of its nationally organized and politically motivated character, the Kremlin challenged the West, not only in the scientific but also in the ideational arena by promoting a success story that ultimately aimed to undermine the rhetoric of Western normative superiority. Contemporary Russian foreign policy is based on a strategic narrative that questions the strength and permanence of the Western-dominated international system and envisions a greater role for Russia and China.
The article falls into four sections. The first part focuses on “the rise of Russia” narrative that questions the superiority of the democratic liberal model. By so doing, the Kremlin not only provides a counter-argument against the oft-raised criticisms of its illiberal authoritarian regime but also takes an offensive stance against the Western democracies arguing that they are outmoded to fight against global problems. The second part discusses the employment of the Kremlin’s strategic narrative during the time of the pandemic. The third part scrutinizes Moscow’s bid to develop the first working vaccine. It is argued that the race for the discovery of a vaccine became a part of the discursive rivalry among great powers for prestige and honor in global politics rather than just a scientific and public health issue. The article concludes with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Kremlin’s storyline, which aims to convince domestic and foreign audiences at the time of the pandemic.

Keywords

• Russian foreign policy
• COVID-19 pandemic
• Sputnik V
• International order
• Strategic narrative

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