What does the enemy look like? Ukrainians’ image of the enemy after Russia’s full-scale invasion

Abstract

The article highlights the process of constructing the image of the enemy in Ukrainians after the beginning of the full-scale invasion by Russia on February 24, 2022. Even though the war has been going on for 2014 years, the full-scale invasion changed the image of the enemy: now it becomes specific from the general image of Russia, and the Russian people are added to the list of enemy subjects, in addition to the government and the army. Based on in-depth interviews conducted immediately after the beginning of the invasion, the main characteristics of the enemy image construction among Ukrainian citizens are analyzed. What kind of enemy can be reflected through the description of personal characteristics of the enemy and emotions that arise towards him. The central element in the perception of the enemy image is that the government, the military, and the population appear as not very powerful but, at the same time, dangerous enemies. Emotionally, two emotions are predominant in Ukrainians’ perception of the enemy: hatred and disgust, which translates into a vision of future relations with Russia. The psychological processes of stereotyping the enemy, mirroring, dehumanization, and selective perception are present in forming the enemy image in the respondents. In addition, a psychological balance shows that the worse the enemy, the better “we” are, and the enemy itself is dangerous but one that can be overcome and defeated.