The presidency more than five years, including two years and fifteen months in the war. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi sleeps short at night, lives with a toothbrush in his backpack and is afraid of assassins.
The president’s interviews and speeches repeat the same theme: Ukraine needs weapons, Ukraine is fighting for democracy. Zelenskyi does not talk about himself.
NATO leaders met a 46-year-old man at the summit in Washington, a far cry from the comedian who portrayed the president on Ukrainian television Servant of the people in the series almost 10 years ago.
This week, Zelenskyi admitted that he wanted to kill the Russian president Vladimir Putin. He vented his anger and frustration After Russia attacked Ukraine’s largest children’s hospital.
According to the influential people in the president’s inner circle interviewed by the news agency Reuters, Zelensky has become tougher and more determined during the war years. At the same time, his face has shrunk and his fears sometimes approach paranoia.
“This is a sleep-deprived administration,” says Zelenskyi’s former defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov. According to him, Zelenskyi is constantly on shift and stressed, and there is no end in sight.
Zelenskyi travels around Ukraine with a pre-packed backpack with a change of clothes and a toothbrush, because most of the time the place to spend the night is not yet known during the day.
“The president’s everyday life is interrupted sleep. It’s negotiations late into the night and speeches to senates and parliaments regardless of the time of day,” says Reznikov.
There is no time for the unprepared.
A member of Zelensky’s team tells Reuters how the president, in frustration, chased away aides who had prepared an information campaign about the motion earlier this year.
“If he sees that people are not prepared or are at odds with each other, he says, ‘Get out of here. I don’t have time for this,'” says a member of the president’s team on condition of anonymity.
Zelenskyi frequently visits the fronts of Ukraine and the cities under Russian attacks. Last December, he made a video speech about Avdijivka, which was under Russian control just a few months later.
Most interviewees tell Reuters they are impressed by Zelensky’s mental stamina and ability to cope with his role as president of Ukraine.
“His memory is his huge strength. He keeps a large amount of information in his mind and quickly absorbs details and numbers,” says ex-defense minister Reznikov.
However, working under enormous pressure and under threat takes a toll on anyone’s mind.
Zelensky has become even more paranoid about suspected Russian assassination attempts, according to a European official who has held discussions with him.
“And for good reason,” the official adds.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi became president in 2019 after winning the election, his most significant political experience being television comedies criticizing the politics of the day.
Nearly ten years ago, Zelenskyi was one of Ukraine’s favorite comedians. In addition to his comedies commenting on politics, he won, among other things, the local Dancing with the Stars program.
In a serious speech on Thursday, the television star, who danced for the Ukrainian audience in a sailor’s outfit, demanded the leaders of the military alliance NATO to allow strikes with Western weapons on Russia’s side.
The difference in the tone of the performances is huge, but the skill of holding the audience’s attention is the same.
On international ones on the stage, Zelenskyi persistently repeats his messages, which continue almost to the point of exhaustion even in bilateral negotiations, says a European high-level official.
Studied together with him in Zelenskyi’s hometown Andriy Shaykan has seen the years as president take their toll on Zelenky.
“He’s become a parent – a person with an incredible weight placed on his shoulders. He sleeps a few hours at night. That enormous pressure, you can see it,” Šaykan says.
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