The semantic shift of the concept of peace during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

This study examines how disinformation reshapes the semantic meaning of peace, transforming it from a universal normative ideal into a contested, strategically displaced concept. In contemporary information environments saturated with manipulated narratives, semantic instability undermines public deliberation, media discourse, and diplomatic communication. The semantic shift is examined within the context of the Russian invasion in Ukraine and the global disinformation landscape. Utilizing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the research investigates how disinformation reshapes peace from a universal normative ideal into a strategically displaced and transactional tool. The analysis is structured across four interconnected dimensions: the criminalization and erasure of peace-related language in Russian media; the tactical redefinition of peace in pre-war Putin’s key addresses, where the term is stripped of its ethical force; the substitution of ‘peace’ with ‘ceasefire’ and ‘deal-making’ in high-level political interactions (Zelensky–Trump meeting and a Lukashenko–Putin meeting). The findings suggest that disinformation not only distorts factual content, but also actively destabilizes shared semantic frameworks through mechanisms of erasure, substitution, and redefinition. By analyzing the shift from peace as a fundamental right to peace as a conditional deal, we identify a process of semantic bleaching, in which linguistic manipulation facilitates asymmetric power relations and constrains diplomatic discourse.