Victims or contributors? Analysis of Ukrainian wartime discourse on Belarusians in the context of Russian imperialism

Abstract

Postcolonialism, although a relatively recent discipline within the social sciences, has largely succeeded in working through the traumas of the vicious era of colonialism by giving a voice to subaltern peoples, those who did not have one for hundreds of years. While the scholarship on the subject has largely succeeded in subjecting the imperial policies pursued by European powers or settlers towards indigenous people in Asia, Africa, or the Americas to constructive criticism, this issue within the European continent itself has long remained in the shadows. This is particularly true for Eastern Europe, where postcolonial discourse largely bypassed Russia, leaving processes in Moscow's claimed exclusive civilisational sphere of influence aside. Following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the issue of decolonisation of perceptions in Eastern Europe has become increasingly topical. While there is developing literature on Ukrainian perceptions of Russia and Russian colonialism's impact in general, little attention has been paid to relations and perceptions amongst subalterns. This thesis employs Critical Discourse Analysis to examine the speeches and statements of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from August 2020 to June 2024, focusing on how was shaped Ukraine's discourse on Belarus and Belarusians before and after the full-scale invasion. Using a theoretical framework grounded in postcolonial studies and concepts of Russian Hybrid Imperialism and Wartime Discourse, this research assesses how Ukraine's perception of Belarus, a country that has played a crucial yet ambiguous role in the war, has been influenced by the ongoing conflict and shared experiences of subjugation by Moscow. The study investigates whether and how Belarus and Belarusians are framed as victims or contributors to Russian imperialism in Ukrainian political discourse, and how this framing has evolved over time. The results of this research reveal a nuanced and evolving discourse that distinguishes between the Belarusian state and the Belarusian people. The analysis shows that while the pre-invasion discourse was more openly critical of the Lukashenka regime, the post-invasion period unexpectedly saw more neutral and subtle narratives towards the Belarusian state, coupled with a persistent sympathetic view of the Belarusian people. The study also identifies an emerging emphasis on decolonization narratives, particularly after 2022, which frames both Ukraine and Belarus as post-colonial subjects struggling against Russian imperial influence.