“Dette kan aldri erstatte tapet. Ingenting kan bringe deres kjære tilbake. Men vi trenger støtte og trøst når livet er som mørkest.”
Jens Stoltenberg
Foto: http://www.president.gov.ua/
Den retoriske situation:
Efter halvandet år raser krigen i Ukraine fortsat. I kampen for frihed har Ukraine vundet moralsk og økonomisk støtte fra mange lande i verden, heriblandt den danske regering, der i august besluttede at donere 19 F-16 kampfly til Ukraine. Den ukrainske præsident Volodymyr Zelenskyj var derfor på et todages besøg i København. I den forbindelse holdt han d. 21. august 2023 en takketale foran Folketingets hovedtrappe - et ikonisk sted, hvor mange vigtige, politiske taler er blevet afholdt. Her talte Zelenskyj til politikerne og danskerne. Der var tusindvis af fremmødte foran Christiansborg, og talen blev også tv-transmitteret, så hele den danske befolkning kunne følge med.
Hvorfor er talen interessant?
Talen er interessant, fordi den kan ses som et svar på en kæmpe hjælpepakke fra Danmark til Ukraine. Zelenskyj har i sine andre taler rundt omkring i Europa ofte kombineret sine takketaler med en opfordring til mere økonomisk og militær hjælp. Dette er dog ikke tilfældet her. I stedet hører vi ham takke den danske regering og befolkning 14 gange, uden yderligere krav eller bud om mere hjælp, sandsynligvis på grund af den store sum af penge de 19 F-16 fly består af – og at han i denne situation vurderer, at det ikke er det rette tidspunkt at bede om mere.
Derfor er denne tale en smule atypisk sammenlignet med Zelenskyjs andre taler i Danmark. Endnu et atypisk aspekt af talen er, at han ikke opdaterer på situationen i Ukraine – al fokus er i stedet på at sige tak/at takke danskerne for både den moralske og materielle støtte og opbakning.
Thank you!
Thank you, Speaker! It is a great honor to be here! Thank you for everything, great people of Denmark!
Thank you so much!
Hi! Hi, Copenhagen!
Dear people of Denmark! Dear Mette, Madam Prime Minister!
I remember how you visited Kyiv, our capital, on the 21st of April 2022.
I will say frankly these were harsh days for Ukraine. For all our people, children, for everybody. At that time, we had already decided everything for ourselves and fought how we could. But then, the world had not yet chosen how to act. And the Ukrainians had not yet known who in the world would actually be with us. As long as it takes and as true allies. Like Denmark! Like each and every one of you. Here, at this square, and in every Danish family, in every home, where you wish us victory in this battle for freedom just as we wish it! I thank you all!
Today, almost a year and a half after your visit to Ukraine, Madam Prime Minister, we can openly say that the majority of the world is like Denmark – now with us. We feel it. It’s a great support for us.
When the first Russian missiles hit our cities, warning the world about the full-scale war in the middle of Europe, the risk was simply insane. The risk that Europe will again lose itself, as it had already happened in our history. It was a risk that tyranny would win again. It was a risk that the culture would lose again.
And the worst thing is that respect, which is the basis of our free and united Europe, could be destroyed. Respect for every nation, for every community, for every person. When Europe is not ruled by respect, dictatorships would dominate Europe. And we saved our Europe from this. Saved together!
What is the price of life? War always raises this question. It is true.
When I spoke to our soldiers on the front lines, they told me about the motivation of Russian occupiers. Russian soldiers are less afraid of being killed in the battle than they are afraid of stopping aggression and returning home. A free person can even hardly imagine that. Imagine what Russia is today, if its people fear their return home more than to be killed at war. This is the worst thing tyranny does to its people – it eliminates the value of life, totally.
We will never allow Ukraine or any other country to become the same territory of disrespect for people, life, and human diversity, as the Russian state has become and wants to make other countries. We have to always remember what stands against us. And until the victory comes, we have to act the way we do with you, Denmark!
When Ukraine needs weapons, you – help. I thank you and the whole of Denmark – all the weapons you’re giving to protect freedom and for F-16s we agreed on. Thank you so much! When Russian missiles hit our power plants last winter to drive Ukraine into blackout and defeat, you helped us to live through winter. When it was needed to accommodate our people, you provided them with very generous opportunities. Thank you very much! Thank you for your attitude to our people, to Ukrainians! To all your families, all your houses, all your people, all your cities! Thank you very much, Denmark! And when I asked you about support for our port city and region of Mykolaiv, which endlessly suffers from the Russian terror – you gave such support without delay… Thank you! Thank all of you!
Dear friends!
Today we are confident that Russia will lose this war. But this is not the only main thing. The main is what we prove with our victory, with our cooperation, what you prove supporting Ukraine. Together we prove that life is a value, that people matter, freedom matters, Europe matters. I’m sure it will be written in history also due to you, being with Ukraine.
I’m sure that we will win because truth is on our side. All our people are waiting for this moment. It will be a common victory of truth, of democracy, of our nations. Thank you very much for your support! After the victory we’ll come to you! Maybe, it’s not traditional to hear it from the President but I want to say it. Yes, we will come to you, sit together somewhere and we’ll say “Skål.”
Det siger retorikerne:
Volodomyr Zelenskyj har en ret høj etos (retorisk begreb for troværdighed) blandt det danske publikum, allerede inden han træder op på trappen. Dette kalder man hans initiale etos. Når man taler om etos, kan man dele det op i tre etosdyder: phronesis (klogskab), areté (moralsk karakter) og eunoia (velvilje overfor publikum). Fordi Zelenskyj har en høj initial etos, behøver han ikke bruge tid i talen på at overbevise publikum om, at han er klog og har en god moralsk karakter. Derfor bruger han mest tid på den sidste etosdyd: eunoia. Han viser velvilje overfor publikum ved at tale dansk, sige tak mange gange og tale om, hvor vigtig netop danskerne er for Ukraine. På den måde opbygger han sin egen etos, så hans terminale etos (slut-etos) bliver endnu højere end hans initiale etos.
Når man læser Zelenskyjs tale, er det vigtigt at være opmærksom på forskellen på, om man hører en tale eller læser den på skrift. Zelenskyj bruger en stor grad af patosappel, når han for eksempel taler dansk og siger tak mange gange. Patosappel er den appelform, der er sværest at få ned på papir. Appel til følelserne virker meget bedre i det konkrete øjeblik, hvor man ser taleren, hører personens tonefald og mærker publikums reaktion. Når man læser talen bagefter, kan det virke overdrevet, selvom den har fungeret godt i situationen.
Zelenskyjs brug af stilfigurer er med til at skabe et “os-og-dem”-forhold mellem Rusland og resten af Europa. Han bruger altså meget energi på at skabe et fælles fjendebillede. Dette hjælper ham til at vinde støtte til fortsat at bekæmpe Rusland; netop fordi han tager det op i et større perspektiv, når han siger, at det ikke kun handler om Rusland og Ukraine men hele menneskeheden.
Derudover forsøger han gennem identifikation at cementere Danmark og Ukraines venskabelige forhold. Han taler ind i en dansk doxa (fælles værdier), om demokrati, diversitet og hygge (“skål”). På den måde kan man få fornemmelsen af, at vi er på samme hold, og at Danmark fortsat skal støtte økonomisk op i kampen mod den russiske tyranni.
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