Visit of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the United States

Last Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, visited the US. It was the first international meeting of Ukraine's President outside the country since Russia's aggression against Ukraine began on February 24, this year. To some extent, this visit was filled with symbolism. It seemed to draw a bold line under the first 300 days of the war and, at the same time, was intended to outline the future. It is clear now that next year will be decisive in the confrontation between Ukraine and Russia. There are three scenarios on the table right now.

Depending on the assistance of Western allies, Ukraine will either be able to take all its territories back in the coming year, or there will be a stalemate situation, i.e., "Minsk 3," or the war will go beyond the borders of the two countries, and involve the whole world in a state of "World War III." For this reason, a lot of attention from American political circles and the media was focused on the visit of President Zelensky. The visit, by the way, received wide coverage in the media of India, my first homeland, which in many ways confirms the extent to which Russian aggression against Ukraine has an impact on politics in other regions of the world.

President Zelensky was true to himself and was great at the meetings with US leaders. His simplicity and humanity contrasted with the strict gentlemen and ladies of the White House and the Capitol. It’s an irony of fate that the President’s opponents hastened to criticize him for his appearance, while Western public opinion deeply admires his image as a strong-willed man of the people symbolizing the rise to power of ordinary people. Think about a pre-election slogan for the President: ‘Each of us is the President.’

At that time, it was perceived as an election ploy, but with the outbreak of the war, it became meaningful. It is impossible to invent and technologically produce the unity of the authorities and the people. This synergy of souls arises with a whole set of qualities and circumstances in place. The soul of President Zelensky was the one to which the Ukrainian people reached in the most difficult moments of their history.

On the eve of his first international visit in a long time, the President of Ukraine visited Bakhmut Town, where he met with Ukrainian soldiers who had been holding back the onslaught of the enemy for several months at the cost of their own lives. The visit to Bakhmut on the eve of the visit to the United States, on the one hand, emphasized the President’s priorities and his desire to be near his army, and on the other hand, gave additional weight to his meetings in the United States, especially his speech before both houses of Congress, where his speech was interrupted by applause from representatives of the two political parties. This speech, if it did not affect the allocation of the record $45 billion to Ukraine next year, definitely created the necessary psychological background for the perception of this step on the part of the Americans.

Certainly, the Ukrainian card has already become part of the American game, which means that the allocation of assistance to Ukraine can always be presented as an attempt to take this money away from the Americans. This is a typical mistake of American populists, for whom the coming to power and criticism of the government are more important than the principles that Ukraine defends every day, fighting against Russian aggression.

No matter how strong the people may be, it is important to have a charismatic political leader in power. In the age of media, when any message spreads in a second, the photogenicity of a leader is very important. Volodymyr Zelensky, as a professional artist, knows how to draw attention to himself and highlight the key points in his speech. The example of Volodymyr Zelenskyy shows us the art of rhetoric and the role of speech in the fate of the state coming back to politics. Speeches produce meaning, which is why in the Ancient World, from India to Greece and Rome, the speeches of orators played a big role, being able to win over the residents of a city, or, on the contrary, turn them away from them.

Volodymyr Zelensky blew the lid off world politics. He pulled back the curtain that separated ordinary people from decision-making. He forced global political leaders to engage in an open dialogue. Backroom dealing should become a thing of the past.

The President of Ukraine has a natural talent for appealing to the city and the world. His words penetrate the skin like arrows and reach the hearts of men. This is the political leader Ukraine needs.

Ukraine is a fairy tale for the whole world now, the author of which is the Ukrainian people and its President. That is why Time Magazine has named Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine as its Person of the Year. This symbiosis is stronger than steel and Russian weapons. It will definitely win. I am very proud to live in Ukraine at such a great time and feel all its unique energy. A month ago, I published a book in English about President Volodymyr Zelensky, a leader of freedom. I want people all over the world to know what personalities were born before our eyes and how they made history.