Soft power in the conditions of war: the public diplomacy of Ukraine in the Republic of Lebanon

  • Post category:Issue XXIV

Andriana Bila
Leading Specialist of the Department General for Public Diplomacy and Communications of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Postgraduate Student at the Educational and Research Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, expert in Cultural and Public Diplomacy

DOI: 10.37837/2707-7683-2023-42

Abstract. Ukraine’s public diplomacy during the war, especially in the past year, has become an unprecedentedly effective tool for conveying what American researcher Joseph Nye defined as a state’s ‘soft power’. Through various tools and focus areas of public diplomacy, Ukraine has successfully raised foreign audiences’ awareness of its attractive aspects: its rich culture, cultural heritage, and traditions with deep historical roots and world-spanning connections to different peoples and countries. These public diplomacy efforts made it possible to demonstrate such bright and strong characteristics of Ukrainian society as heroism, courage, and resilience. For the first time in many years, Ukraine’s political values and ideals became clear and visible to foreign audiences and the leadership of foreign countries. Ukraine began to be identified and acknowledged as a country of freedom and democratic values.
The article analyses several successful public diplomacy projects implemented by the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Lebanon under Ihor Ostash, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Lebanon (2016–22), during russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The author details the content of specific unique cultural diplomacy projects that served as a critical element of public diplomacy, highlighting their impact on the Arab and, particularly, the Lebanese audience. Thus, the author emphasizes the methodical nature and valuable outcomes of the Embassy’s work amidst the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine. The conclusions identify several key aspects that must be considered for the sake of high-quality implementation of public diplomacy.
Keywords: public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy, soft power, Republic of Lebanon, Middle East, Arab world, Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon, Ukrainian-Lebanese relations.

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References

  1. Nye, J. (2004) Soft Power: The Means To Success In World Politics. New York: Public Affairs.
  2. BRAND UKRAINE (2023) Zvit pro spryiniattia Ukrainy u sviti [Report on the perception of Ukraine in the world 2022]. Available at: https://brandukraine.org.ua/documents/33/Звіт_про_сприиняття_Украіни_у_світі_2022.pdf
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  4. Bila, A. (2022) ‘Ukrainskyi forpost na Blyzkomu Skhodi: yak u Livani pidtrymuiut Ukrainu?’, Radio Svoboda, 17 March. Available at: https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/livan-pidtrymka-ukrayiny-viyna-rosiyi/31758212.html
  5. Ihor Ostash (2022) Beirut. 12.00 ukraintsi ta livantsi piketuiut rosiiske posolstvo [Facebook] 24 February. Available at: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02h8zGxaQoCZGfnC5vagEy6mSzpc9P8UsbbsjXY9GE1cAAUP75zQh6peqRefNC4SQcl&id=100001465760344
  6. Ihor Ostash (2022) U istorychnomu sertsi Livanu vidbuvsia antyvoiennyi mitynh i antyvoienna khoda tsentrom mista  [Facebook] 26 February. Available at: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0yhGozd49wpSXWZSSKLQHBQcRRj5abF9PfZ1xhN7tJeMKaD1cDbMyQUMhvyN4WjcNl&id=100001465760344
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  8. Ihor Ostash (2022) U istorychnomu sertsi Livanu vidbuvsia antyvoiennyi mitynh i antyvoienna khoda tsentrom mista  [Facebook] 26 February. Available at: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0yhGozd49wpSXWZSSKLQHBQcRRj5abF9PfZ1xhN7tJeMKaD1cDbMyQUMhvyN4WjcNl&id=100001465760344
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  11. Ihor Ostash (2022) Pres-konferentsiia Posla Ukrainy v Livani Ihoria Ostasha dlia arabskykh media [Facebook] 28 February. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ihor.ostash/posts/pfbid02iBP5eenAayMKJFh9w8pLbJZ73wYKBoR4GXr5rEiJEJ7V5U62Y4unHm34knxGk2cvl
  12. Ihor Ostash (2022) Siohodni Beirut buv z Kharkovom, de navchalosia duzhe bahato livanskykh studentiv [Facebook] 30 May. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ihor.ostash/posts/pfbid02w8dwxobpqpe3FXw1fNEDzQt4f871yqZ8nmrGHyxCuyucskwxbMv9GkFE46gbqi1sl
  13. Ihor Ostash (2022) Sohodni vidkryvsia 63-i Beirutskyi mizhnarodnyi knyzhkovyi yarmarok [Facebook] 3 March. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ihor.ostash/posts/pfbid02Tjjwqtt5WY1wdJ8N96Hi4G6MvBuj4XGWcrc3EX2qbeknthyEpY4wFZvcm2sQJmyXl
  14. Ihor Ostash (2022) Sohodni my vshanovuiemo Vasylia Stusa [Facebook] 4 September. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/ihor.ostash/posts/pfbid034TuKUTpRbBXCHvdT7ywqdrh5tW8q5Wq9t3gfcBUyEuroHLp4pfBScxHnVLErrrsjl
  15. Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon / Posolstvo Ukrainy v Livani (2022) Posol Ukrainy v Livani Ihor Ostash: ‘Sohodni odyn iz naikrasyvishykh muzeiv Livanu Palats Siursok vdiahnuv ya u synio-zhovti shaty…’ [Facebook] 15 March. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/UkrEmbassyLeb/posts/3230104113888599
  16. Bila, A. (2022) ‘Ukraina – Livan. Pro spilnyi bil ponivechenoi, ale ne vtrachenoi kultury’, Den, 4 April. Available at: https://day.kyiv.ua/blog/suspilstvo/ukrayina-livan
  17. Ibid.
  18. Ibid.
  19. Ihor Ostash (2022) Dlia blahodiinoho kontsertu ukrainsko-livanskoi pianistky Tetiany Prymak-Khuri ‘Vid Beiruta do Kyieva’ my pidhotuvaly video, yake rozpovidaie pro ruinuvannia kulturnoi spadshchyny Livanu pid chas viiny ta znyshchennia ukrainskykh mist rosiiskymy ahresoramy [Facebook] 1 April. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/100001465760344/posts/pfbid0exdkq2122TaFpFuxenf52tMzNu7KHMRVExmWPFTfKQ4QGNr3mnyb6oQgUzk9ATj9l
  20. Ihor Ostash (2022) Use dlia frontu [Facebook] 2 April. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/100001465760344/posts/pfbid0uLZdMpoAtq1cuutfm78EdPt3YTTMYXa9vE1KbXNcE4arJBHu2vvbEVtvVDfaxSvsl
  21. Ihor Ostash (2022) Dlia blahodiinoho kontsertu ukrainsko-livanskoi pianistky Tetiany Prymak-Khuri ‘Vid Beiruta do Kyieva’ my pidhotuvaly video, yake rozpovidaie pro ruinuvannia kulturnoi spadshchyny Livanu pid chas viiny ta znyshchennia ukrainskykh mist rosiiskymy ahresoramy [Facebook] 1 April. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/100001465760344/posts/pfbid0exdkq2122TaFpFuxenf52tMzNu7KHMRVExmWPFTfKQ4QGNr3mnyb6oQgUzk9ATj9l
  22. Ibid.
  23. Bila, A. (2022) ‘JE SUIS BUTCHA: donka Presydenta Livanu pomianula nevynno vbytykh ukraintsiv’, Den, 11 April. Available at: https://day.kyiv.ua/article/den-planety/je-suis-butcha-donka-prezydenta-livanu-pomyanula-nevynno-vbytykh-ukrayintsiv
  24. ‘U Kyievi startuvav Samit pershykh ledi ta dzhentelmeniv’ (2021) LB.ua, 23 August. Available at: https://lb.ua/news/2021/08/23/492279_kiievi_startuvav_samit_pershih_ledi.html
  25. Bila, A. (2022) ‘Livanski myttsi za myr v Ukraini!’, Den, 29 April. Available at: https://day.kyiv.ua/article/taym-aut/livanski-myttsi-za-myr-v-ukrayini
  26. Ihor Ostash (2022) U odnomu z naikrashchykh livanskykh muzeiv Sursock Museum do Dnia pamiati ta prymyrennia provely fotovystavku ‘Nikoly znovu’ ta blahodiinyi pokaz filmu ‘Toloka’ za onlain-uchasti rezhysera Mykhaila Illienka [Facebook] 7 May. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/100001465760344/posts/pfbid02mfyAoFHob9oV47mYugyPV33FMdeS2Sme62MXjtimWVAmHdGBSRk4Geb4dciY9maEl
  27. Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon / Posolstvo Ukrainy v Livani (2022) Do Dnia Nezalezhnosti Posolstvo Ukrainy v Livani razom z Ukrainian Community in Lebanon / Hromada Ukraintsiv Livanu realizuvaly spilnyi proiekt ‘Ukrainska knyzhkova polychka v arabskomu sviti’ [Facebook] 25 August. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/100064695549281/posts/pfbid02YJMoZ8oW9aviZyrd4KmwVMDyuCsYfzLwcP2Ch8qYwV1YwWtEk3dE72VDSNwv89rvl
  28. Ihor Ostash (2022) Nasha bibloteka perekladiv ukrainskoi literatury arabskoiu movoiu popovnylasia shche odnyv vydanniam [Facebook] 5 November. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/100001465760344/posts/pfbid0gLaWDYfYnpKgREfTCsdfrffHFfUzpGPR958wLMtkUbCS8XkefTZjkveNFsaFiEBRl
  29. Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon / Posolstvo Ukrainy v Livani (2022) U Livani startuvav 5-i ukrainskyi kinofestyval [Facebook] 17 September. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/UkrEmbassyLeb/posts/pfbid0iJYNn7iDNveQdX2rbpVb6KLpT2HWbXJxWgcA8h8sJ3FCgmgvkhNUu8MP7bfNHoHCl
  30. Embassy of Ukraine in Lebanon / Posolstvo Ukrainy v Livani (2022) 27 veresnia 2022 roku u hoteli Likaa v Anteliias proishov Den ukrainskoi kultury u Livani [Facebook] 28 September. Available at: https://www.facebook.com/UkrEmbassyLeb/posts/pfbid027oVNGhkyBcfMCQmHPJ84GfXTZKGaHMgdXoPL4CHDsTUZcfixNYsieW1GBuGH99PJl
  31. Bila, A. (2022) ‘Do 300-richchia Skovorody u Livani vpershe presentovano zbirku filosofa arabskoiu movoiu ta dokumentalnyi film’, Den, 12 December. Available at: https://day.kyiv.ua/article/kultura/do-300-richchya-skovorody-u-livani-vpershe-prezentovano-zbirku-filosofa-arabskoyu
  32. Ibid.
  33. Ukrainian Lebanon (no date) Ukrainski mistsia v Livani [Places of Ukrainian interest in Lebanon]. Available at: http://lebanonua.com
  34. ‘Do Dnia nazalezhnosti Livanskoi Respubliky’ (2022) State Enterprise ‘Directorate-General for Rendering Services to Diplomatic Missions’. Available at: https://gdip.com.ua/pages/view/do_dnya_nezalezhnost_lvansko_respublki