The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits

Ahmed Abdul-Razaq

The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits

Abstract

Diplomatic protocol in speech plays a crucial role nowadays, especially in the media era. Thus, the current study examines the radical evolution of specific American diplomatic/political discourse in 2025. This study adopts two theories: Face-Threatening Acts (FTAs) and Speech Act Theory. Besides, it compares different dialogues between different Presidents (Donald Trump and the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy) on one side with (Trump and the Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa) on the other side. Finally, the study finds that the administration in 2025 employed aggressive impoliteness and “bald-on-record” strategies to dismantle long-standing alliances, while simultaneously employing face-saving and “peacification” frameworks to integrate former adversaries into a new regional order.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

English Language and Literature / Applied Linguistics / Pragmatics

Ethical Statement

I respectfully accept the ethical statements of the publication policy

Thanks

Thanks to the editorial staff

References

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PBS Newshour. (2025, May 14). Trump meets with interim Syrian president, a first between the nations’ leaders in 25 years. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/trump-meets-with-interim-syrian-president-a-first-between-the-nations-leaders-in-25-years
Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech acts: An essay in the philosophy of language. Cambridge University Press.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

British and Irish Language, Literature and Culture

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Ahmed Abdul-Razaq ^*
0000-0002-9171-824X
Iraq

Early Pub Date

July 14, 2026

Publication Date

-

Submission Date

May 16, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 1, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Number: Advanced Online Publication

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Abdul-Razaq, A. (2026). The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, Advanced Online Publication. https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA

AMA

1.Abdul-Razaq A. The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits. EJELL. 2026;(Advanced Online Publication). https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA

Chicago

Abdul-Razaq, Ahmed. 2026. “The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits”. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, no. Advanced Online Publication. https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA.

EndNote

Abdul-Razaq A (July 1, 2026) The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature Advanced Online Publication

IEEE

[1]A. Abdul-Razaq, “The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits”, EJELL, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA

ISNAD

Abdul-Razaq, Ahmed. “The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits”. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature. Advanced Online Publication (July 1, 2026). https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA.

JAMA

1.Abdul-Razaq A. The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits. EJELL. 2026. Available at https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA.

MLA

Abdul-Razaq, Ahmed. “The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits”. Eurasian Journal of English Language and Literature, no. Advanced Online Publication, July 2026, https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA.

Vancouver

1.Ahmed Abdul-Razaq. The Pragmatics of Power: A Comparative Analysis of Face-Threatening Acts and Negotiated Identity in the 2025 Trump-Zelenskyy and Trump-Al-Sharaa Summits. EJELL [Internet]. 2026 Jul. 1;(Advanced Online Publication). Available from: https://izlik.org/JA52ZU94JA