Posted at 6:00 a.m.
“I will stay in the capital. My family is also in Ukraine. According to information in our possession, the enemy identified me as target number 1. And my family as target number 2,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message to his compatriots on Thursday. .
Looking gloomy, standing behind a lectern, the 44-year-old father of two had swapped his black jacket for a khaki sweater. The ex-comedian became a politician by campaigning among other things on his desire to restore peace. It is rather the role of warlord that he was forced to take on Thursday after the Russian attack.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE UKRAINIAN PRESIDENCY, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears in a video message to his compatriots late Thursday.
“I am very worried for him, because the objective of the Russians is to storm the government apparatus and stop them, and who knows what will happen next, said Dominique Arel, professor and holder of the Chair in Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa. I fear for his health, for his life. ‘Cause I think he’ll have the guts to stay [au pays]. »
Russian-speaking
More at ease in Russian than in the Ukrainian language, like many of his compatriots, Volodymyr Zelensky is from a neighboring region of Donbass, shaken by a conflict with pro-Russian separatists since 2014. He studied law, before to turn to the artistic field.
His vision of Ukraine-Russia relations clashes with the scenario usually put forward by the Kremlin. “Zelensky symbolizes precisely that the Russian speaker who is supposed to be pro-Russian, pro-Putin is in fact ready to fight for the sovereignty of his country, explains Mr. Arel. This is striking. »
Zelensky is not a radical nationalist, he is a Russian-speaking Ukrainian, of Jewish origin, who does everything to defend his country, which completely contradicts Putin’s kind of construction of Ukraine.
Dominique Arel, holder of the Chair in Ukrainian Studies at the University of Ottawa
Volodymyr Zelensky starred in a comedy where he portrayed a teacher propelled to the head of the country for his honesty. The show’s title became the name of his party: Servant of the People. Like his character, he ran against corruption and received strong popular support, with 73% of the vote in 2019.
Notoriety and reviews
If the Ukrainians first knew their president on the small screen, he achieved a certain notoriety in the rest of the world for having been, despite himself, at the center of the first impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump – accused of having asked to his Ukrainian counterpart an investigation into the Bidens to discredit his political opponent.
Zelensky’s political inexperience was initially welcomed as a breath of fresh air. However, its popularity has waned over the years. His detractors have criticized him for the lack of real reforms to curb endemic corruption, despite his promises. He was presented by his critics as a superficial being, more focused on looks than expected changes.
He was also criticized for having an overly sensitive skin, leading to several dismissals. Although his popularity ratings have plummeted, he has not been overtaken by another politician, notes David R. Marples, a professor at the University of Alberta.
Zelensky was unlucky. First, he was involved in the Trump impeachment story, and he was desperate not to offend the United States. Then he gets caught up in this war for which he has very little personal responsibility – he didn’t create this situation.
David R. Marples, professor at the University of Alberta
Certain gestures, such as the arrest of a member of the opposition, a major pro-Russian figure, may have stirred up Russia, he said. ” Corn [Zelensky] probably considered them necessary because of the danger of pro-Russian forces in Parliament. »
Freedom of expression
The criticisms, whatever they are, are also an example of a freedom of expression present in Ukraine, but which is lacking in its neighbor, argues Roman Serbyn, retired professor from the University of Quebec in Montreal. Ukrainian origin.
“Zelensky does not play as important a role in Ukraine as Putin plays in Russia,” he said. Because in Russia, all decisions are made in Putin’s head. In Ukraine, Zelensky is still obliged to take into account the advice of various ministers, etc. »
The next few days could be decisive for the Ukrainian president.
“I think he was very brave,” Mr. Marples said. Without a doubt. Whether or not he’s the best person for the situation, I think you still have to acknowledge that he’s doing fine, all things considered. »
With Agence France-Presse