In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is receiving lots of praise for his leadership, courage, and communication. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe this man, who is now being compared to Winston Churchill, is a former TV actor and comedian.
“Here’s a guy who was basically considered to be a lightweight, out of his element, about to be crushed by a major superpower next door. And it didn’t happen,” explained Andrew J. Polsky, a professor of political science at Hunter College in New York. “I think people really expected that he would flee … and I think he surprised people by sharing the danger that they were sharing.”