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This thesis examines the paradox of how a neutral state, whose identity was founded on peace, neutrality and non-alignment, can simultaneously support the notion of an inherited enemy. The study analyzes how the Swedish evening press Aftonbladet and Expressen constructed the narrative of a neutral Sweden alongside the narrative of the threatening Soviet Union through their reporting of, what is known as, Catalinaaffären in 1952. Drawing on historical narratives as its theoretical framework, this study proves that the press repeatedly invoked older perceptions of Russia, thereby placing Russia and the Soviet Union in a shared narrative of threat. At the same time, the analysis shows that Sweden as a protagonist and the Soviet Union as the antagonist are mutually constitutive. Swedish neutrality and the Soviet threat served an orienting function by making the conflict apprehensible. The narrative of Sweden guided how the nation should understand and respond to the perceived threat, whilst the narrative of the Soviet Union made the threat comprehensible.

Through a qualitative approach, this thesis identifies how the relationship between the narratives further developed throughout the reporting. The antagonist narrative expanded to encompass not only the Soviet Union but also Russia, communism and the Eastern Bloc, while the protagonist narrative was further developed regarding aspects of Swedish democracy, agency and the opportunities and limitations of neutrality.