“Unwanted guests” or welcomed neighbors? Portrayals of Ukrainian refugees in Russian, Polish, and UK news coverage

Abstract

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine forced more than eight million Ukrainians to seek refuge outside their home country. This study analyzed the press coverage of displaced Ukrainians during the first year of the war in three countries that resettled some of the largest numbers of Ukrainian refugees: Poland, Russia, and the UK. The researchers found important differences in how news organizations from the three countries portrayed Ukrainian refugees. Polish and UK coverage was mainly neutral and sympathetic toward Ukrainian refugees, while Russian coverage depended on where stories were set geographically.