The role of state rhetoric in the conceptualization of the COVID-19 pandemic Ukraine vs. Belarus

Abstract

This chapter analyzes metaphoric projections traced in official state rhetoric used to set out the agenda for dealing with COVID-19 in Ukraine and Belarus as mediated through state-owned media news reports from 12 March through 1 June 2020. Whether or not these countries adopted quarantine measures in the fight against the social and health implications of the pandemic influenced the rhetoric and the choice of deliberate metaphors used by the authorities and/or experts in relation to the situation. We examined and compared metaphoric mappings onto the domains COVID-19/coronavirus and country for both countries, quarantine for Ukraine, and president for Belarus. The results demonstrate that the COVID-19 agenda was used in Belarus for the legitimization and strengthening of power of the president, while in Ukraine it was aimed at justifying unpopular measures taken by the government and the president which were largely opposed by the population. Additionally, for Belarus, the agenda served to set up an Us/Them opposition to portray the state policy to its best advantage.