Volodymyr Zelensky is a voice not only of inspiration but of stark realism, David Remnick writes. He has galvanized his people through the clarity of his language.
At the most consequential hour in Europe since the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a vengeful and erratic autocrat invades Ukraine alluding darkly to the scale of his nuclear arsenal, a comedian has assumed the role of Winston Churchill. Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has relied largely on his voice to inspire his country’s resilience. The greater part of a dispirited and fractured world has also responded to his call.
Zelensky is an unlikely tribune. He grew up in Kryvyi Rih, a rough steel city in the southeast where thousands of Ukrainians, particularly Jews, were killed during the Nazi occupation. A mediocre student, he led a comedy troupe called Kvartal 95, and, in 2015, helped develop a sitcom called “Servant of the People.
Prior to the war, Zelensky’s popularity had declined. Oligarchs continued to exert influence on Ukraine, not least in media. Just before the invasion, he seemed at odds with President Biden, who insisted on making public the intelligence estimates about the imminence of an attack. Zelensky preferred to minimize the prospect of war. But, when the tanks rolled, Zelensky began delivering his message to his people: he would never abandon Ukraine.
In contrast to Zelensky, Putin is increasingly disconnected and delusional. His high approval ratings are inflated by incessant propaganda, coercion, and the projection of national stability through bare-chested strength. Having taken note of the world’s tepid reaction to his military adventures in Georgia, in 2008, and in Crimea and the Donbas region, in 2014, Putin carried out this operation with seemingly serene confidence.
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