Exploring Communication Strategies and Social Media's Role in Polarization during Ukrainian Presidential Elections before the War.

The 2019 elections were a watershed moment, testing Ukrainian society's understanding of the current political situation and strategies for the future. The two leading candidates, P. Poroshenko (then acting President) and V. Zelenskyi, each with their unique appearance, behaviour, and communication strategies, symbolized the uncompromising nature of the race. The polarization of views and approaches, initiated by these candidates, led to a societal division that continues to shape the Ukrainian political discourse. In his pre-election campaign, P. Poroshenko relied on established communication practices, minimally using social networks and modern messengers and self-positioning tools (such as selfies, etc.). Instead, V. Zelensky captured the youth audience with contemporary approaches and practices, forming in them a vision of himself as a young, active and innovative candidate who is the future. As a result, the victory of V. Zelenskyi, supported by almost all regions of Ukraine, and the polarisation of society, which has a personified character. To analyse both communication strategies, we have applied Social Network Analysis technics and Sentiment Analysis. The data has been extracted from June 27, 2022 till August 12, 2024. And also, Poroshenko data from November 3, 2020, until August 12, 2024.

The 2019 election campaign demonstrated the growing role of social networks in shaping candidates' image and public sentiment. To analyse the role of social networks in the polarisation of Ukrainian society, the authors use quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis of the content of publications, including the tone of messages and the identification of key phrases and words of both candidates, content analysis and the influence of current social events and requests on the candidates' communication strategies.