Borders and border regions in a changing geopolitical order: territorial narratives of Europe’s margins from an external perspective
Borders and border regions in a changing geopolitical order: territorial narratives of Europe’s margins from an external perspective

Summary/Abstract: This article explores how two global powers narrate and politicize the territorial margins of Europe – Ukraine and Greenland – by analyzing official presidential rhetoric from the United States and the Russian Federation between 2019 and 2025. Adopting a qualitative, discourse-analytic methodology, the study treats public speeches as performative acts of statecraft that shape geopolitical perception and legitimacy. Focusing on the cases of Ukraine, a contested post-Soviet buffer zone, and Greenland, an autonomous Arctic territory, the analysis uncovers distinct yet parallel rhetorical strategies. Russia, through President Putin, constructs a historical and civilizational narrative justifying territorial claims in Ukraine as part of restoring the Russian homeland. In contrast, U.S. President Trump frames Greenland’s acquisition as a strategic necessity for national and global security. Both leaders use speech acts to challenge existing territorial sovereignties, normalizing exceptionalism and projecting power by redefining borders through externalized narratives.

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