Diplomacy at War: Ukraine’s Strategic Narratives during Russia’s Invasion

• In Event: Ukraine's State Resilience: Navigating War, Peace, and Changing International Norms

Abstract

Ukraine’s ability to defend itself surprised many experts who assumed Russia would quickly take control of Kyiv and most of Ukraine in early 2022. This paper argues that diplomacy played an essential role in Ukraine’s ability to resist. The paper aims to examine Ukraine’s strategic narratives in the context of Russia’s large-scale invasion. First, the paper theoretically explores the concept of strategic narratives, a specific type of diplomacy in which political actors construct a shared meaning of the past, present, and future of international politics to shape the behavior of domestic and international actors. The paper argues that given President Zelensky and several of his advisers’ backgrounds within media, a strategic narratives approach is a particularly useful lens for studying Ukraine’s diplomacy at war. Thereafter, the paper performs an empirical analysis of key speeches by President Zelensky aimed at Ukraine’s core allies during the first part of the war. Finally, the paper addresses tensions and potential problems with strategic narratives, such as when they don’t correspond with realities on the ground or when domestic and external actors seek to challenge them. The paper contributes to the literature on strategic narratives by emphasizing the role of leaders in communication. Further, it contributes to scholarly debates about Ukraine’s foreign policy during the war.

Author

• Per Ekman, Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden)