Populism and the aesthetics of security: the case of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Kurylo, Bohdana ORCID: 0000-0003-4089-702X (2025) Populism and the aesthetics of security: the case of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In: Cadier, David, Chryssogelos, Angelos and Destradi, Sandra, (eds.) Routledge Handbook of Populism and Foreign Policy. Routledge, Abingdon, UK, 572 - 588. ISBN 9781032540184

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Abstract

Since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has championed Ukraine’s identity as a brave democracy fighting an authoritarian aggressor, combining passionate, informal communication with strategic humour in framing security issues. This chapter examines the relationship between populism, security and aesthetics through Zelenskyy’s wartime leadership, proposing a contextualist approach that recognises how populist actors adapt their securitisation styles to specific circumstances. I argue that populist leaders tend to perform security narratives in a way that resonates with those who feel marginalised not only in local but also in global politics. By embodying Ukraine as an empowered political actor rather than a passive victim, Zelenskyy challenges traditional power dynamics where smaller nations become mere pawns in great power relations. This chapter advances International Relations scholarship on populism by exploring how populist leaders can reshape global political aesthetics and potentially transform existing hierarchies through their securitising performances.

Item Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	© 2025 selection and editorial matter, David Cadier, Angelos Chryssogelos and Sandra Destradi; individual chapters, the contributors.
Divisions:	Methodology
Subjects:	J Political Science > JC Political theory
Date Deposited:	01 Jul 2025 14:39
Last Modified:	29 Jul 2025 17:21
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/128611

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