Kyiv In his evening video messages, head of state Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who always wears an olive-green sweater or T-shirt, is said to be exhausted. But with the raspy voice of the former actor, the 44-year-old manages to shake people up even after almost a year of war.
He calls for perseverance. Above all, the winter, with its power cuts, darkness and cold caused by Russian drone and rocket attacks on the energy infrastructure, demands everything from the president and millions of Ukrainians.
Many people complain that hardly any of the billions in aid for Ukraine, whose budget has long been dependent on support from the West, reaches them. The fact that Selenski was celebrated like a superstar on his first official foreign visit to the USA in December, was voted Person of the Year there by Time magazine and is also revered like a hero elsewhere in the West, is celebrated by his supporters as a triumph. But not all Ukrainians share Zelenskyy’s optimism that the country will be victorious at the end of this war.
But one thing is certain: no other president of Ukraine has ever achieved such international renown – and such an influence on world politics. Before his election in 2019, the man, who studied law but never practiced law, was a successful comedian and producer.
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Backed by a historically good result of 73.2 percent of the vote, Zelensky promised to bring peace and prosperity. War and poverty came.
Instead of fleeing, Zelenskiy stood up to Putin in the Kremlin
Nonetheless, many Ukrainians admire the courage with which Zelenskiy Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin defied the Russian attack on February 24. History has many examples of presidents running away.
“We are all here. Our soldiers are here. The citizens are here. We are all here to defend our independence. And it will stay that way, ”said Selenski at the time.
Unlike Kremlin boss Putin, the Ukrainian president also shows up without a helmet and protective vest when visiting the front.
(Photo: dpa)
Not only did he manage to keep the leadership together to a large extent – and in doing so destroyed Russia’s hopes of a rapid collapse of the government. The communications pro, who is a master of social media, has mobilized a wave of unprecedented support in the West.
Also because of his almost daily promises to liberate all occupied areas of Ukraine and the many successes in doing so, he is considered by many to be untouchable a year before the presidential elections in Ukraine. Selenski, who was born on January 25, 1978 in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, which was repeatedly shelled, and who has two children with his wife Olena, is valued by large sections of the population above all for his human nature.
2023 a crucial year for Selenski – competition in sight
For years, Zelensky starred in the popular TV comedy series Servants of the People, playing the role of President. But 2023 should not only be decisive for him on the battlefield of the war, but also domestically. It’s the year of preparation for the next presidential election, which is expected to be held in March 2024 – if martial law doesn’t stop it.
However, anyone who asks on the street in Kyiv who is the most popular Ukrainian will very often hear another name: that of the supreme commander, Valeriy Saluschnyi. Because of the many defeats suffered by the Russian invaders, many consider the 49-year-old Ukraine to be the real hero of the war. Selenski doesn’t help that – unlike Kremlin chief Putin – he repeatedly shows himself brave at the front, even without a helmet and protective vest.
However, anyone who asks on the street in Kyiv who is the most popular Ukrainian will very often hear another name: that of the supreme commander, Valeriy Saluschnyi.
(Photo: dpa)
It is true that Zalushny, whose portraits can be bought at souvenir stands in Kyiv, has not yet declared any ambitions for the presidency. But Zelenski has long since had a reputation for eliminating political competitors if they threaten his power. The former actor is said to not only love playing the lead himself, but also to be addicted to applause.
As close as the country is to the war, the power struggle in Kyiv is likely to gain momentum in the coming months. Kiev’s Mayor Vitali Klitschko is currently considered an important competitor. All attempts by Selenski to get rid of the ex-boxing world champion have so far failed. In war, the two do not appear together.
Criticism of Selenski’s handling of US warnings before the start of the war
There is also criticism of Selenski. The fact that he is glorified in the West is difficult for many Ukrainians, who consider the political establishment to be thoroughly corrupt, to understand.
“I voted for Zelensky in 2019 because he promised to end the war in Donbass,” says an elderly man in Kyiv on the dimly lit Khreshchatyk boulevard, referring to the conflict in eastern Ukraine that has been smoldering since 2014. Selenski is hardly spoken about publicly. Many are too busy with their lives.
Despite US intelligence information, Zelensky had always downplayed the threat of a Russian attack.
(Photo: dpa)
One issue that is well debated, however, is Zelenski’s handling of US intelligence information and warnings about the war. He had always downplayed the danger of an attack by Putin.
The result: Thousands of Ukrainians did not survive due to a lack of warnings and timely evacuation measures. “President Zelensky does not answer the question why exactly he lied and failed to prepare for war,” noted journalist Yuriy Butusov said in November.
President Zelensky does not answer the question of why exactly he lied and failed to prepare for war. Yuriy Butusov, journalist
The editor-in-chief of the news site censor.net said that even Zelenski’s role change to a tough fighter would not help him to shirk responsibility for his failures before the war. Such opinions are rather rare, also because there is wartime censorship in Ukraine. Selensky, who is sometimes said to have authoritarian tendencies, had pro-Russian media banned even before the war.
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Overall, criticism of the president has been muted because no one wants to be suspected of promoting Russian war propaganda. Moscow considers Zelensky to be a US puppet.
Charlemagne Prize for Selenski: “Role model for his people”
But it is also clear that many Ukrainians, and probably the Kremlin as well, underestimated Zelensky’s steadfastness. As recently as January, more than half of Ukrainians found in a poll by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology that Zelensky would not be able to effectively fill the role of commander in a Russian invasion. That changed abruptly with the start of the war.
The neatly dressed man with the boyish face became a demonstratively combative man with a permanent three-day beard. Zelenski’s approval rating rose to over 90 percent after two-thirds of Ukrainians rejected his actions in December a year ago.
This is how the Handelsblatt reports on the war in Ukraine
Forgotten were the scandals surrounding company constructions in tax havens and the awarding of posts to good friends. And his crackdown on those who thought differently seemed justified.
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The Charlemagne Prize Society Aachen recently recognized him with the Prize for the Unity of Europe 2023. Under Zelensky, the country received the coveted candidate status for possible EU accession in record time.
“He is support and also a role model for his people,” said the reason for the award. “Zelensky shows courage, leadership, tactical empathy and he demonstrates a new, clear and unmistakable political style.”
More: All developments on the Ukraine war in our live blog