Nataliia Voitko

The Role of Public Diplomacy and Nation Branding in Securing International Support During Crisis. The Case of Ukraine and Beyond. 

This research project examines how countries in crises design and employ public diplomacy and national branding to attract international political and economic support, with a focus on Ukraine (2014–2025). The case of Ukraine will shed light on how modern states use public diplomacy under extreme pressure (war, dependency on external aid) and highlight the role of soft power in the world, typically characterized by hard power dynamics.

To investigate how a state in crisis finds itself dependent on international perception and increasingly reliant on soft power instruments, such as public diplomacy and nation branding, and to analyze both how these strategies are deployed and how the international community responds, I combine qualitative and comparative methodologies, alongside Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) techniques. This approach enables a thorough analysis of digital campaigns, media coverage, official communications, and responses from governmental and non-governmental institutions, both within Ukraine and internationally.

This project aims to contribute to broader debates about soft power, legitimacy, and the strategic use of image in international politics.

2021–2024
MA in Slavery Studies, BCDSS, University of Bonn, Germany

2018–2020
MA in History, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine

2014–2018
BA in History, National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, Ukraine