When you attack us you will see our faces — not our backs, but our faces.
Zelenskiy speaks in a video address posted on social media hours before the Russian invasion.
How Zelenskiy became the symbol of defiance
Up against a nation, nearly 30 times its size with a powerful army that could decimate Ukrainian troops, Zelenskiy and his fighters have been holding their own so far.
With defiant videos addressing his fellow Ukrainians, Zelenskiy has quickly become the face of national resistance, remaining steadfast in his home country even when he’s number one on Putin’s hit list. The US had reportedly offered him an evacuation, to which he replied: ‘I need ammunition, not a ride.’
So how did the Ukrainian voice of Paddington, become a faithful servant of his people?
From acting president to becoming one
Born to Jewish parents in 1978, in Kryvyy Rih — southern Ukraine, Volodymyr is a fluent Russian, English, and Ukrainian speaker. Volodymyr is licensed to practice law, but he found his true vocation at college: comedy.
In the late nineties, his performance group Kvartal 95 (named after the area he grew up in) reached the finals of KVN, an improvisational comedy competition.
After years of regular tv work, Zelenskiy co-founded Studio Kvartal 95 in 2003, serving as an artistic director. He later became a producer for network 1+1, owned by the controversial billionaire Ihor Kolomoisky, who backed his presidential bid on the last day of 2018.
Servant of the people
In 2015 the political satire aired on 1+1, becoming a massive hit. Zelenskiy played a history teacher who accidentally became president after a student filmed his passionate address against corruption, turning him into an internet sensation.
The comedian followed a similar path to power when he founded a political party named after his hit series. Conducting his campaign mostly on social media, he won a landslide victory of 73% in 2019, based on a populist agenda with a vision for Ukraine to neither be “a corrupt partner of the West” nor “Russia’s little sister.”
Zelenskiy broke the mold
Zelenskiy showed himself differently from his predecessors on his first day as a president. He arrived on foot at his inauguration, high-fiving supporters on his way there. During his inaugural speech, he called on officials to not put his picture up on the office walls, saying:
The president is not an icon, he is not an idol. Hang photographs of your children and look them in the eye when you make your decisions.
In July 2019, Zelenskiy broke with tradition and canceled the yearly August military parade, promising to award over ten million euros to Ukrainian soldiers in an early sign of respect for his troops.
Zelenskiy fights back on land and online
The man of the people has walked a twisty path since— sometimes struggling in opinion polls — leading up to the Russian tanks rolling onto Ukrainian soil serving as a chilly reminder that World War Three might be closer than we fear.
But while Goliath Putin continues with his hybrid war, he is coming up against a mighty David. Thousands of Ukrainians have joined his troops and Zelenskiy has now urged willing foreign nationals “to join the defense of security in Europe”.
As a former entertainer, he is a master of social media, and videos of him standing defiant beside his troops’ surface on Youtube have captured the hearts of many.
And humorous Twitter posts, such as the Ukrainian Army showing farm tractors pulling away Russian hardware with above the caption: ‘February harvest’ display a strong sense of Ukrainian scorn towards their powerful neighbor.
How Zelenskiy’s tireless fighting has united the West
While Western allies have been hesitant to risk economic consequences by implementing sanctions against a bloodthirsty Putin, Zelenskiy has relentlessly called upon EU leaders to make the impossible possible.
He uses Twitter, makes frantic calls, and does anything to move the leaders of the west to help him and fellow Ukrainians fight the Russian giant with arms and sanctions.
And his strategy is working, with Germany to back arms sales to Ukraine, increase its defense spending to 2% of GDP, and even cut Russia off from Swift, a move unthinkable only a few weeks ago. However, the Guardian reports Zelenskiy’s office admitted this U-turn came about only because of Russia’s actions and Zelenskiy’s genius; by getting western allies like Canada, the UK, and France to sway the others.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians are entirely behind Zelenskiy’s pushing for fast-track membership of the EU.
What’s next for President Zelenskiy?
No one can predict the future, but as a rocket attack killed at least seven people in Kharkiv yesterday, it’s almost certain this bloody war won’t end soon.
The death toll is rising, and President Zelenskiy has accused Russia of war crimes for targeting civilians.
In the meantime, more than 2 million Ukrainians have fled the country.
Anyone’s guess how much blood will flow, but Ukraine has one powerful weapon up against Putin’s formidable war machine: the mighty Zelenskiy.
In conclusion
Who knows when bloodshed will end, but one thing is clear; Zelenskiy is the Churchill of a new generation.
And he is a true war hero. He captures even the most cynical souls carrying a phone in his hand and the love for Ukraine in his heart.
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Previously Published on Medium
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