The following article is derived from loop time depth observation, and the author ring time deep observation
From acting as president to becoming president, Ukrainian leader Zelenskiy fully explained what "life is like a drama" through his dramatic life.
Previously, Zelenskiy, who had no political experience, overpowered veteran politicians in the country and transformed himself from a comedian to a national leader; now, in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, he has become the "wartime president" that the world has focused on — he has stressed for days that his country is resisting Russia's "invasion", and he has indomitablely "fought side by side" with Ukrainians to defend his country.
On the evening of the 8th local time, Zelenskiy released a video speech saying, "We have listened to the Western promise for 13 days, and have always said that we will provide air support to Ukraine, and politicians have said that they will provide combat aircraft to Ukraine, but this is not the case." According to the Russian news agency, Zelenskiy's attitude has changed in recent days, and he has become disheartened about Ukraine's accession to NATO.
Some public opinion believes that Zelenskiy has always been the "man in the play", he has won himself a lot of popularity with his proficiency in the use of social media, but some of the wartime governing methods he used in the Russian-Ukrainian crisis put the Ukrainian people in danger, and the "heroism" he showed is touching the red line of the West.
On the 8th, Zelenskiy posted a selfie video on social media platforms, saying: "In such a spring, we are fighting, it is really sad. But everything will be fine, and we will overcome all difficulties. Saying that squeezed the audience's eyes.
Campaign promises have not been fulfilled, and support has plummeted in the past two years
Zelenskiy was born in 1978 to a Jewish Kochi family in Ukraine to a university professor and an engineer mother. He graduated from Kiev State University of Economics with a degree in law. Zelenskiy has been obsessed with acting since he was a teenager, and in 1997, he founded his own comedy performance team "95 Block", which was also the predecessor of the "95 Block Studio", which became famous throughout Ukraine. Zelenskiy has participated in a number of film and television works in his acting career, the most well-known of which was the TV series "Servant of the People" broadcast in 2015.
Zelenskiy played the main character in the TV series Servant of the People
In the play, Zelenskiy plays the role of the president of Ukraine, and the president of the play was just an ordinary high school history teacher before running for election, and he only became popular because he denounced government corruption. With the show's popularity, Zelenskiy also became a household name in Ukraine. He registered a political party called "Servants of the People" through his film and television company, and won the 2019 Ukrainian election with the super popularity he accumulated as an actor, becoming the first Jewish president in the history of the country. At that time, international public opinion jokingly ridiculed: "The new president's only political experience is to be president in a TV series." ”
Zelenskiy, then a comedian, was filmed on a film in Kiev on February 6, 2019.
The New York Times commented that Zelenskiy's success was a product of a special era background: since the "Orange Revolution" in 2004, All factions of Ukrainian politicians have promised to tackle corruption and lead the country out of the quagmire, but none of them have succeeded. Ordinary people have lost trust in traditional politicians, and as a political amateur, Zelenskiy has brought a refreshing feeling and new hope to the people.
However, Zelenskiy's performance after his election as president was not satisfactory. The promises he made to the people during his campaign — to end the fighting in eastern Ukraine and the bloody conflict in donbass, to step up economic reforms, and to fight corruption at home — were not fulfilled. Before coming to power, he promised to fight the ukrainian oligarchs, but it was later discovered that his original campaign funds came from a TV station owner he met as an actor, a Jewish oligarch, and after becoming president, Zelenskiy handed over some of the telecommunications industry to the behind-the-scenes financier. In addition, the data shows that Ukraine's GDP in 2020 fell by 30% compared to 2019, and per capita income is at the bottom in Europe.
Zelenskiy's shortcomings in political experience are becoming more and more exposed, and the support rate during the COVID-19 epidemic has declined. By the end of 2021, his approval rating had dropped from 73 percent at the start of his election to 31 percent.
Where is Zelenskiy?
The special military operation launched by Russia has "saved" Zelenskiy's decline in public opinion to a certain extent, and through a recent series of "network public relations" and the strong praise of some Western media, Zelenskiy has been portrayed as a "national hero" and "democracy fighter", and some Western people have even urged their leaders to "learn from him".
At the beginning of the war, there were rumors that Zelenskiy had "fled to Poland", and Zelenskiy quickly posted a video through his official Instagram account saying: "I am now in Kiev, I work here." No one escaped. He also released a message through the Ukrainian Embassy in Britain that he refused the assistance of the Us side to evacuate, saying that "what we need is ammunition, not a hitchhiker."
On the evening of March 7, Zelenskiy posted a video of himself speaking in his office in Kiev. He said: "I am still in Kiev, in my office. I didn't hide. And I have nothing to fear. He also promised ukrainians that Ukraine would win this "patriotic war."
CNN said that in addition to his previous brief outdoor appearances with members of the government, this was Zelenskiy's first appearance outside the bunker since the russian military operation began on Feb. 24, and the first time he had appeared in the office.
"Ukrainian Pravda" reported on the 8th that Zelenskiy in the video is still wearing the army green fleece jacket, and the outfit that Zelenskiy has appeared on camera many times in the past ten days has this army green coat. Zelenskiy again called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in dialogue, agreeing to seek compromise but not surrender.
There is currently no reliable information on Zelenskiy's whereabouts. Podoriak, an adviser to Ukraine's presidential office, declined to answer questions about where Zelenskiy was. The Global Times reporter found one detail worth scrutinizing, and while Zelenskiy has insisted that his wife, children and other family members are in Ukraine, his wife, Yelena Zelenskaya, has not posted a single personal photo in recent days on a social network page she regularly maintains since she appeared in the video of her selfie on Feb. 14. Where Zelenskiy is and whether his family has left Ukraine has become a mystery.
Ukrainian Pravda reported on March 2 that CNN reporter Matthew Chans was allowed to enter the bunker where Zelenski was hiding. Matthew Chans said that "this is one of the hideouts he (Zelenskiy) uses, in a secret location in the center of Kiev." "The location of this bunker is no secret: Kiev's Arsenal Metro Station, the world's deepest metro station, is located 105.5 meters underground." I can say 99.9% chance that Zelenskiy is in this bunker. A special tunnel leads to the same bunker and can be accessed directly from the president's office. Much-needed supplies of food, water and oxygen were available in the bunker, which was said to be able to withstand direct blows from nuclear bombs. ”
Some extreme measures are controversial
Swedish public relations expert Knutsson said that from the perspective of public relations strategy, the "human design" created by Zelenskiy is quite successful so far. As a veteran actor, Zelenskiy was fully aware of the importance of social media and used it as a weapon. A recent survey by Ukraine's domestic polling firm showed zelenskiy's approval rating as a "wartime president" as high as 91 percent. However, some media pointed out that this poll directly excluded Donbass and other regions, and the statistical results were suspected of "water injection".
To counter the Russians, Zelenskiy's government took some controversial and extreme measures. One of the most criticized is the "soldiers of all people" - Zelenskiy not only personally mobilized ordinary people to participate in the war, but also distributed weapons and equipment to prisoners serving sentences. Ukrainian Kiev writer Gonzalo Leela exposed to the media that Ukrainian criminals have been robbed, raped, and run rampant on the streets after getting military-grade weapons, creating a lot of chaos.
CNN reported on the 8th that nearly two weeks after Russia launched military operations, the question of Western countries is becoming what options can increase economic pressure on Russia while avoiding corresponding military escalation. Zelenskiy's heroism began to run counter to the West's cautious desire to avoid triggering the worst-case scenario that could lead to World War III, which was the West's "red line." Zelenskiy has repeatedly called for a no-fly zone, but has been flatly rejected by Western powers that want to avoid direct conflict with Russian forces. US Secretary of State Blinken bluntly explained on the 7th that there is considerable risk in doing so, which may cause direct conflict between the United States and Russia, thus triggering a broader war.
On the 8th, Zelenskiy called on the British side to give more help to Ukraine in a video speech to the British parliament and thanked the British prime minister. In addition, Zelenskiy said that he understood that NATO was unwilling to accept Ukraine for fear of confrontation with Russia, and that he had "no hope" for Ukraine to join NATO. Ukraine is ready to engage in dialogue with the Russian side on issues such as collective security guarantees, the "future" of the Donbass region and Crimea.
Global Times: Fu Lai, Liu Haoran