.
ABOUT PRESIDENT ZELENSKY
President Volodymyr Zelensky is 44 years old, married and a father with two children. He has become a hero with his calm but strong words, not only to his own people, but also to the world. He was an actor as well as a comedian. His intelligence and ability to communicate succinctly and movingly were demonstrated on March 8, 2022, when he appeared by videolink to a packed British House of Commons. Members of the House of Lords also watched from the public gallery. He is the first foreign leader to be allowed to address MP’s directly in the Commons chamber. Looking exhausted , wearing a khaki T- shirt and jacket, he spoke about the first 13 days of war. Many MPs wearing headphones looked moved by the translated speech. On March 15, he spoke to Can ada’s Parliament and on March 16 to the U.S. Congress. At one point, Zelensky said, “The question for us now is to be or not to be. Oh no, this is a Shakespearean question. For 13 days this question could have been asked. But now I can give you a definite answer. It’s definitely yes, to be.” Zelensky also said, in reference to what Winston Churchill said in a 1940 speech when Britain was under attack, “We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight until the end, at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost. We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the coasts, in the streets.” He concluded in a direct address to Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson: “We are looking for your help, for the help of Western countries. We are thankful for this help, and I am grateful to you, Boris. Please increase the pressure of sanctions against Russia and please recognise that country as a terrorist country.” The Prime Minister responded: “Never befo re, in all our centuries of parliamentary democracy has the House listened to such an address. In a great European capital now within range of Russian guns, President Volodymyr Zelensky is standing firm for democracy and freedom. In his righteous defiance, I believe he has moved the hearts of everybody in this House. Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition, praised the bravery, resolve and leadership of the president, and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called on the queen to grant him an honorary knighthood. There was another standing ovation when he finished his speech. Zelensky appealed to the UK, which had faced Hitler and fought against an invasion in WW11. The solidarity was palpable. To many, Zelensky has become the leader of the Western world. Many agree that Europe and America have not done enough by failing to allow Ukraine to have membership of the European Union and NATO. The skies above Ukraine remain dangerous, leaving the civilians open to attack and injury, if not death from Russian bombs and missiles. Zelensky himself has avoided several assassination attempts in Kyiv. Zelensky has come out onto the streets, showing that he has not gone away and that he stands with his people and his country. There are photographs of his even winking into the camera; a sign of his playfulness and spirit. He is Jewish and his grandfather survived the Holocaust. He has become a world-wide hero. A symbol of resilience, morality and bravery. A truly good human being in an inhumane war.
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online