Framing A War: A study of generic frames in speeches by Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the initial 60 days of the Russia-Ukraine War

Bernadette Doolan

In 1991 Ukraine declared independence from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and became a sovereign state. Since then, Ukraine and Russia have had a strained relationship, politically and territorially. In February 2022, Russia deployed military forces into Ukraine initiating what is now known as the Russia-Ukraine War. The Russia-Ukraine War provides an opportunity to examine leadership during a crisis in real time. It also allows for an informative study of generic communicative frames and how they are utilised in wartime speeches. This study analysed speeches delivered by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, both nationally and internationally in the initial sixty days of the Russia-Ukraine War. A mixed method quantitative analysis was utilised to explore how Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the War and appealed for support in twenty-two speeches between 22 February and 23 April 2022. Pre-determined generic frames were used drawing on research by Semetko and Valkenburg (2000) and Iyengar (1991). The frames used were Episodic, Thematic, Attribution of Responsibility, Conflict, Human-Interest, Morality, and Economic Consequence. Analysis showed that the five generic frames identified by Semetko and Valkenburg (2000) were evident in Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speeches to varying degrees, and each speech was framed episodically. Attribution of Responsibility was the most prominent, followed by Conflict, Human Interest, Morality, and Economic Consequence. There was little difference in the usage results for four of the five frames with frame application almost symbiotic. Economic Consequence had significantly lower usage than other frames however its usage linked to and supported use of other generic frames. This thesis contends that the balanced usage and interplay of generic communicative frames by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his drawing on collective memory, strengthened the propagandic persuasiveness of his messaging to audiences of Ukraine and the Western World (the West). Zelenskyy’s constant online and media presence further aided in the creation of a personal global identity and potentially forms a collective memory for Ukraine and the West in relation to the Russia-Ukraine War.

Framing A War: A study of generic frames in speeches by Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the initial 60 days of the Russia-Ukraine War

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