The former actor… comedian… Now the sixth and current president of Ukraine. A few notes first about the man, who seems quickly becoming more…
He was a political outsider when announcing his candidacy just over 2 years ago. He was said to be for the people and against the so-called elite. He positioned himself as anti-establishment and anti-corruption. He has intentionally worked to unify his country, bringing together the Ukrainian-speaking and Russian-speaking populations. There’s a reason a recent tweet has gone viral, reading: “BREAKING: every woman in your life now has at least a small crush on Volodymyr Zelensky and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it.” As some have responded, “The men, too!”
Like many, I find myself refreshing my news feed often these days, appalled by Russia’s aggression and attracted to the leadership of Zelensky. There’s simply something solid when asked if we can help him exit, his response is: “The fight is here. I need ammunition — not a ride.” There’s something admirable about a leader who instead of hiding in a basement or bomb shelter, says to the cameras on the street, “We are here. We are in Kyiv. We are defending Ukraine.”
Zelensky won the presidency with 73.2% of the vote. My sense is that number would be even higher now.
No doubt Zelensky’s style and stand has resonated across the world. As respected Intramuralist favorite David French articulates, Zelensky’s “moral and physical courage stands out in an age when so many politicians shrink from the moment, when they wilt under pressure, bowing to Twitter mobs rather than maintaining even an ounce of integrity in the face of adversity.” Allow me to humbly share more…
“… It’s sometimes hard to gauge in real time whether any given moment, no matter how dramatic, is truly culturally or historically significant. Not every viral video matters, and we’re quick to create (and forget) both heroes and villains.
But there is something about Zelensky’s stand that is different. There’s something about it that’s penetrating far beyond his country’s borders and touching the hearts of Americans across the political spectrum. It means something real, something we should remember.
Part of the importance rests in Zelensky’s identity. Nothing about his past suggests that he was ready to potentially become Ukraine’s Churchill. Indeed, in the run-up to the Russian invasion itself, there were a lot of reasons to wonder whether he was, in the words of a ‘New York Times’ essay by a Ukrainian journalist, ‘seriously in over his head.’
I’ve spoken to a number of knowledgeable people who questioned not only Zelensky’s presidency (Has he done enough to root out corruption? Has he surrounded himself with friends and cronies?) but also his preparation for the Russian invasion. Did he downplay the threat of Russian attack for too long? Did he mobilize too late?
The best argument for Zelensky was that he was an ordinary man caught in extraordinary times. Because evil often leaves virtue with few good choices, he had no clear path. Mobilize too soon, and you can cripple your economy and perhaps provide pretext for a Russian attack. Mobilize too late, and you’ve granted the invader a military advantage. Moreover, when exactly do you tell your people that the Russians are coming? After all, there were disagreements about the likelihood and extent of the Russian attack right until the moment it launched.
But extraordinary times are also when ordinary men can become heroes. We’ve become accustomed to dealing with brand-managed politicians—men and women who sometimes act more like messaging machines than leaders or legislators. We’re just as accustomed to moral cowardice. Politicians fold to Twitter mobs. They say one thing in green rooms and another thing on television because they’re terrified of the activist base, or mean words from Mar-a-Lago.
It’s not that we’re even experiencing a political class full of ordinary people in extraordinary times, but rather too often it seems as if they’re small people, who shrink even smaller the bigger the moment. There are exceptions here in the United States, but they’re exceptions. There is a reason why public trust collapses. There is a reason why angry cynicism grips our land.
In these circumstances it is breathtaking to witness actual courage. It’s even more breathtaking when that courage is both moral and physical. He’s not just speaking against evil, he’s quite literally standing against evil–when evil seems to possess all the power, and virtue feels so weak.
And this reminds us of something important about leadership. It’s one thing to say, ‘I will lead you.’ It’s another thing entirely to say, ‘I am with you,’ and to demonstrate it by laying your own life on the line…”
We’re with you, Mr. President. May God bless your boldness, courage, leadership and resolve. We are watching, praying, and cheering you on.
Respectfully…
AR