After the outbreak of military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, western leaders discussed how to sanction Russia, and some people mentioned the move of expelling Russia from the SWIFT settlement system, but Germany in the EUROPEAN Union was initially reluctant to take such severe sanctions.
According to a revealing Washington Post report at the time, ukrainian President Zelenskiy held a video conference call with Western leaders in just five minutes, and the situation was turned upside down, just as Western leaders hesitated.
According to a senior European official present at the time, the atmosphere was very contagious, and before ending the video call, Zelenskiy told attendees that "this may be the last time they see him alive". In this way, in such a short period of time, the personal voices of Zelenskiy have overwhelmed the hesitation of European leaders to adopt SWIFT-related sanctions that could push the Russian economy to a state of near collapse.
On March 16, VOX wrote that as a former comedian, Ukrainian President Zelenskiy is bringing an actor's skills to the current wartime politics, using it to launch a "public relations war" and "playing 6" more than Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskiy may be imperfect as a leader, but there's no denying that he's done a great job of stirring up emotions in his audience.
Screenshot of the Vox News network report
"Publicize this set, Zelenskiy will play more than Putin"
As the fighting continues, Zelenskiy still represents Ukraine before the world, despite fewer and fewer camera appearances. At the same time, as long as he does appear in front of the camera, that moment still has "real impact", such as his most recent video address to the U.S. Congress.
"At least to some extent, leadership behavior is always tied to performance, and looking like a leader is almost as important as actually being a good leader."
Vox News, who said this, for example, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's once shirtless photo circulation network is to make himself look physically and mentally strong, not only a leader, but also a man. In the United States, every president in the age of mass media must admit that he is not only the president, but also plays the president on television.
Putin's personal vacation photo from social media
As we all know, Zelenskiy was a comedian before entering politics. At the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, he used his acting talent to send out "emotional appeals" to the world. At times, these voices are spoken directly to world leaders, including his March 16 speech to members of Congress in the United States and Canada, as well as many videos posted on social media for all to see.
In the eyes of the US media, Ukraine is a country that is being "invaded", and what Zelenskiy is doing is to fight back in the field of public opinion, in other words, this is a kind of propaganda. "For a country that is suffering from a 'devastating invasion' by a stronger army, propaganda is one of the best ways to (fight back)."
Vox News believes that Zelenskiy played the "propaganda game" very cleverly, certainly better than Putin, which may be why he became famous overnight in North America and other parts of Europe. Many Americans may turn a blind eye to the current global conflict, but in this "propaganda game," Zelenskiy has made himself the protagonist of a global conflict that no one can look away from now.
Zelenskiy was a "acting genius" who made good use of all forms of media
Subsequently, in order to let readers understand Zelenskiy's acting talent, Vox News Network also listed some dancing videos in the Ukrainian version of "Dancing with the Stars" during his actor period, and analyzed that from these videos, it can be seen that Zelenskiy is a very good dancer, although the national standard dance movements are a bit stiff, but his performance is outstanding, good at acting, full of camera sense, and always impressive.
Video screenshots
Being good at appearing on TV doesn't mean being a good leader, like Trump. It is worth noting that the Ukrainian media's most consistent complaint about Zelenskiy is the same as most media complaints about world leaders in the social media era, that they don't talk enough to the media.
In fact, Zelenskiy often uses platforms like YouTube and Facebook rather than through intermediaries like the media to engage in conversations. In the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, his ability to create and express his own views, as well as his ability to attract Ukrainians and many others, including Russians, is evident.
The article also cited, for example, that when the war began on February 24, he stood in front of a disfocused map of Ukraine and appealed to the Russian people to stop their leaders from "waging war," which was more visually appealing than Biden standing behind the podium.
Zelenskiy delivers a televised speech video screenshot
In a speech to the U.S. Congress on March 16, he looked exhausted and called for more U.S. assistance, including a video of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, which was emotionally pleading and full of visual effects.
Zelenskiy Video Link U.S. Congress video screenshot
The handheld videos he made on the streets of Kiev are of very low production value, but they illustrate Zelenskiy's skills as a performer. Through his phone camera, his videos know how to frame people's eyes and manage to draw attention to Kiev officials who are with him, sending a message that sounds "tough" to draw attention.
Zelenskiy took a screenshot of the video in his hand
Vox News believes that what Zelenskiy did reflected the situation more powerfully than Putin's carefully arranged photo campaign.
He is becoming the protagonist of his own story, but he is afraid of touching the western red line
"Zelenskiy is not a perfect leader, he also faces corruption allegations, and worshipping him as the best leader in the world may disappoint you." But there's no denying that he's done a great job of stirring up emotions among the populace and others around the globe, and he's a good fit for the internet. ”
The author of the Vox News article said that pointing out how Zelenskiy's videos during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict benefited from his filmmaking skills would make some readers feel that Zelenskiy had manipulated them to make them care about the situation in Ukraine. And if you're touched by the video he's posting, that's exactly what he wants you to feel, and it could be that Ukrainians want you to feel.
Zelenskiy confronts the media pictured from social media
At the same time, Zelenskiy used all his skills as an actor and filmmaker to coax attention into paying attention to the situation in Ukraine because he knew that there might be people who did not care about it. If there's no way he makes a story to become compelling, then many people reading news sites won't be strongly interested in the conflict. A filmmaker tries to get people into the narrative he wants, and Zelenskiy certainly does.
It is worth noting that along with Zelenskiy's continued voice in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, an analysis article by CNN on March 8 pointed out that Zelenskiy's efforts to show the image of "tragic heroism" are touching the geopolitical red lines of Western countries and may drag the United States and the European Union into World War III.
Screenshot of CNN report
The article begins by describing Zelenskiy's various actions of "heroism," including daily video highlighting that his country is resisting russian "invasions" and accusing the outside world (including Europe and the United States) of not doing enough to stop Russian military action.
"Some powerful people have decided to abandon Ukraine, but we will not do that." He spoke passionately in a video of his speech posted on social media. He accused Western leaders of failing to make effective decisions to protect Ukraine.
"I'm here, it's mine, and I'm not going to give it up. My city, my community, my Ukraine. He said in another video of his speech on March 7.
The article emphasizes that while Zelenskiy's image of a "tragic hero" fascinates the world, he may be running counter to the Cautious Posture of the West. The West is now avoiding the worst-case scenario, which is the outbreak of World War III. This is a political and geopolitical red line between the United States and the European Union.
This article is an exclusive manuscript of the Observer Network and may not be reproduced without authorization.