Constructing security discourse during the Russia–Ukraine War (2022–2025): The cases of Lithuania, Hungary, and Ukraine

This article examines how political leaders from Lithuania, Hungary, and Ukraine construct security discourse in the context of the Russia–Ukraine War (2022–2025), focusing on the relationship between democratization and sovereignty. The study applies critical discourse analysis (CDA) based on Teun van Dijk’s sociocognitive approach, integrating micro-level textual analysis, meso-level cognitive framing, and macro-level examination of social and political context, and is structured around three interrelated categories – Security framing, Legitimization strategies, and Geopolitical positioning – to reflect the specific focus of the research. The dataset consists of political speeches and addresses delivered between 2022 and 2025 by national leaders at high-level international forums. The findings reveal divergent strategies shaped by each country’s political trajectory, threat perceptions, and historical narratives, demonstrating how discourse serves both to articulate national interests and to shape international perceptions. Lithuania and Ukraine frame security through collective defense, democratic values, and Euro-Atlantic integration, while Hungary emphasizes sovereignty, strategic autonomy, and selective engagement with both East and West, revealing tensions within Europe’s collective security architecture.