CONSTRUCTING SOLIDARITY DISCOURSES BY POLISH AND SLOVAK POLITICIANS IN RESPONSE TO THE UKRAINE WAR OF 2022

While solidarity is one of the core values of the European Union (EU), how this principle is interpreted and implemented by member states during crises requires detailed examination. The Russian aggression against Ukraine, beginning in February 2022, has made the idea of European solidarity the centre of attention. A key distinction between the Ukrainian crisis and other crises faced by Europe since the Euro crisis is that solidarity in Europe entails not only mutual support among members but also a commitment to aid a neighbouring non-member state, namely Ukraine, as it faces aggression from a larger neighbour, Russia, to safeguard Europe and its values. Against this backdrop, this article aims to examine Polish and Slovak discourses on solidarity in the early stages of the war. The primary questions posed are how Poland and Slovakia, as Ukraine’s neighbours, have framed their support for Ukraine, and what differences and similarities one can observe in their discourses of solidarity. In order to answer this question, the article utilizes a discourse analysis of the speeches of Polish and Slovak politicians in the early days of the war. The article argues that Poland adopted an assertive discourse of solidarity, whereas Slovak politicians generated a supportive but more cautious discourse of solidarity.