President Zelensky Defending Ukraine — Can A Former Comedian Win Against Russian Invasion?
How did a popular comedic actor become a hero of his country? Overcoming three assassination attempts and confronting Russia
I will not lay down my arms. I will defend my territory, my country, and my children.
President Wlodimir Zelensky, 44, has remained in the capital, Kiev, despite the onslaught of Russian forces and three assassination attempts, and continues to inspire his people.
How did this former comedy actor become a “national hero” who has never backed down from a challenge against the powerful Russian army? Let us trace his “extraordinary life.
President Zelensky was born in 1978 in central Ukraine, and his talent for storytelling was discovered at an early age, and he became active as a performer from his school days. In 2006, he got his big break in the dance show “Strictly Come Dancing” , “where he performed a stunning ballroom dance. The episode in which he appeared recorded a maximum operating rating of 87%. Elina Anatolievna, a Ukrainian living in Japan, is another Zelensky fan.
He is actually a graduate of the Faculty of Law at Kiev State University of Economics, “she said. But he is good at tricks and jokes with a down-to-earth sense of humor, and the gap between the two is very interesting. His most famous trick is playing the piano with his manhood (laughs). As an actor, he is a master at playing scumbags and dames. In Japan, he is similar to Muro Tsuyoshi (46).
His first foray into the world of politics was the political satire drama “The Servant of the People,” which began airing in 2003.
The success story of a history teacher who is accidentally elected president was a big hit. President Zelensky, who played the lead role, ran for the presidency in 2006, using the title of the drama, “Servant of the People,” as the name He won the presidential election in ’19, when 44 candidates were competing for the presidency. Using the image of the TV drama as a weapon, he won more than 70% of the votes cast and was extremely popular.
However, the real world of politics was not like the drama. Inexperienced and lacking personal connections, he made a series of blunders in foreign policy and in dealing with Corona. After two years and five months in office, his approval rating slumped to the 20 % range. In his policy toward Russia, in an effort to regain support, he took a tough stance, including drone strikes on pro-Russian areas of the country, but many critics say that this led to Russia’s invasion of the country. However, now, as a “symbol of resistance,” his approval rating has soared to 91%. A national newspaper’s international desk reporter commented.
As a popular comedian, he is sensitive to how he is viewed by the public and how he should act to be popular. He is also making full use of the Internet and social networking services to appeal to the international community about the situation in Ukraine and Putin’s tyranny. His ability to disseminate information using his natural storytelling ability is quite high, and he is more than capable of fulfilling his role as president in a time of war.
Can the former comedy actor make the Ukrainian people smile again?
From the March 25, 2022 issue of FRIDAY
PHOTO: Afro