Discursive Mechanisms of Constructing the “Existential Other” in the Relations of Trust Crisis between Russia and the West

Based on the conducted discourse analysis, the article explores the mechanisms of constructing the image of an “existential other” during a crisis of trust between Russia and the West. It examines foreign, Eastern, and domestic perspectives on the existentialisation of the crisis in relations between the Russian Federation and Western nations. Within this context, key discursive mechanisms have been identified and described. They include fabrication, the creation of narrative worlds, the inclusion of “dark-intentioned contexts” in political, socio-cultural, and economic agendas, as well as a mechanism that directs discourse towards mainstream mythologies. This approach can be applied to studies of the existentialisation of modern-day crises.