NARRATIVES OF VICTORY AND VICTIMHOOD: NATIONAL IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL SPEECHES (2019–2025)

Abstract

Narratives have become central to wartime political communication, shaping how societies understand conflict, justify resistance, and construct collective identity. This study examines how Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky constructs narratives of victory and victimhood in his official speeches from 2019 to 2025, a period spanning Ukraine’s transition from political reform to full-scale defense against Russia’s invasion. Drawing on constructivist theory and narrative analysis, the research argues that Zelensky’s rhetoric performs a dual identity function: reinforcing Ukraine as a resilient nation capable of victory while simultaneously foregrounding its suffering as a victim of external aggression. This narrative interplay strengthens domestic unity, mobilizes international support, and legitimizes wartime policies. Using qualitative discourse analysis of presidential speeches, the study identifies recurring themes such as moral superiority, heroic resistance, national trauma, and appeals to global justice. It finds that Zelensky’s discourse evolves after February 2022 from general nation-building messages to intensified wartime framing, where victory is linked to moral righteousness and victimhood is leveraged as a strategic communicative tool. These narratives collectively reshape Ukrainian national identity, presenting Ukraine as both a heroic actor and a wounded nation deserving of global solidarity. By analyzing presidential rhetoric across a critical historical juncture, this study contributes to broader debates on political communication, identity construction, and the role of narrative in international conflicts.