THE DISCOURSE OF SANCTIONS: LEGITIMATION STRATEGIES IN EU AND US FOREIGN POLICY

Аннотация

This article examines the discourse of sanctions in the foreign policies of the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), focusing on the legitimation strategies employed by political leaders and institutions to justify the use of economic and political sanctions. Sanctions have become a prominent instrument of contemporary foreign policy, often presented as alternatives to military intervention and as tools for promoting international norms. Through discourse analysis, this study explores how EU and US policymakers construct narratives of legitimacy, morality, security, and international responsibility when imposing sanctions. The findings indicate that sanction discourse relies heavily on appeals to democratic values, human rights, international law, and global security. At the same time, competing interpretations of sanctions raise questions regarding their effectiveness, political motivations, and humanitarian consequences