Publication

This commentary examines the implications of the use of the "Russian bear" metaphor in debates in the West and within Russia, particularly with reference to discussions over Moscow's involvement in the crisis in Ukraine. The author argues that there are problems with using the bear metaphor to describe Russia. This is because 1) domestically, the metaphor can be used to create an image of a country acting in self-defense, deflecting attention away from domestic problems; and 2) in the West, it can lead to a misrepresentation of Russia's actions, portraying them as responses to actions undertaken by others.