| Sumario: | Utilising discourse analysis to evaluate Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Affairs Minister Sergei Lavrov's public speeches as part of public diplomacy, this study deconstructs the discursive practices of Russian political elites in Russia--Japan relations. The data analysis demonstrates that, when speaking from a position of power, Putin and Lavrov delegitimise Japan's political decision-making sovereignty and the role of the Japanese public in the negotiation process. This article argues that even though the discursive practices of Russian political elites are oriented towards a foreign public, the impact on their domestic legitimacy is greater.
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