According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s President, Russia invaded 100 days before his country could be saved. He was advised by world leaders to flee.
He said, “But they didn’t know us,” in a late-night video address on April 25, when the war had reached its 50th anniversary. “And they didn’t know how brave Ukrainians were, and how much freedom we value.”
He could have been talking about himself. Nobody knew how a 44 year-old man who was a star in entertainment and now holds the presidency, would react to Russia’s invasion.
His response was forceful and convincingly public. Zelenskyy led the country’s resistance to an unexpectedly strong point. He rallies Ukrainians to fight the war with a social media video address every night. So far, there have been 100 – one per day — as nightly reminders of his survival and that Ukraine has survived.
His actor-trained voice is soothing. He can look directly into the camera with a deep, almost-secretive whisper. Or he can be forceful and infuriating as he condemns recent Russian atrocities, insisting that those responsible will face punishment.
His untidy face has become a darkened beard as the weeks and days go by. His boyish appearance has disappeared. When the invasion stalled, the puffiness caused by the sleepless nights of Russian troops marching on the capital was replaced with new determination.
Since the beginning of the war, he has worn various shades of army-green, but most often wore a simple T shirt. His impression is clear: Fresh from the battle, he’s ready to go back.
Zelenskyy is a tireless communicator and skilled communicator. He has spoken via video link to the United Nations and British Parliament and to about two dozen other Parliaments around the globe, as well to the Cannes Film Festival, America’s Grammy Awards, and to the United Nations. Rarely, if ever, has a man addressed so many VIPs without a tie. He has also given interviews to journalists. He also held a news conference at the Kyiv subway.
His nightly video address is his favorite channel to inform and inspire his fellow citizens.
He will often greet Ukrainians with an exuberant greeting, such as “the free people in a brave land” or “the invincible citizens of our great nation.” He ends his remarks with a defiant “Glory To Ukraine.”
