KIEV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s decision to make a series of trips abroad amid final preparations for a Ukrainian counter-offensive drew support from some residents of the capital Kiev on Friday, just hours after it was attacked for the 10th time this month.
The president’s recent trip – he visited four European capitals over the weekend and Saudi Arabia on Friday and will attend a Group 7 meeting with Japan this weekend – contrasted with much of the first year of the war when Mr Zelenskyy opted to do so Staying in Ukraine became a symbol of defiance and solidarity.
Now, residents who were questioned on the streets of Kiev said they were encouraged by the warm welcome Mr Zelenskyy has received abroad, at a time when continued support from allies is vital.
“I find it amazing because he builds bridges between all countries,” said Neonila, a 76-year-old retired sanitation worker who, like many of those interviewed for this article, asked that only her first name be used for fear of reprisals.
At each stop of his diplomatic journey, Mr. Zelenskyy tried to strengthen support and ask for more weapons to fight against Russia’s aggression. His whirlwind trip to Germany, France and Britain last weekend brought in billions of dollars in new military aid.
“Each of his visits ends positively,” Neonila said as she shopped for vegetables at a downtown stall. “We are given something.”
While few people interviewed in Kyiv appeared to be opposed to the trip, some questioned Mr Zelenskyy’s motives.
The trips are good for the president’s “reviews,” said Liudmyla, 75, as she sat with a friend in the sun on a park bench in Kiev.
“He’s building an image for the upcoming elections,” she said.
Kateryna Papusha, sitting next to her baby daughter’s stroller in the park, said she supports the trip because some foreign leaders are unable or afraid to visit Ukraine.
“I support his visits abroad because each visit is very productive,” she said. “There is some agreement, some support, some help for Ukraine.”
Proximity to someone involved in the fighting has prompted her to pay particular attention to announcements of new weapons pledges, Ms Papusha added.
Most Ukrainian men have been banned from leaving the country since the war began, and the effects of the nearly 15 months of fighting are being felt across the country. Volodymyr Pylypenko, 45, who was wounded in combat in eastern Ukraine, said on Friday he did not follow Mr Zelenskyy’s movements closely.
“I’m more worried about the situation on our front lines,” he said, smoking a cigarette while standing in front of a hospital.
But that doesn’t mean he thinks a wartime president should stay in office, he said. Since a general is in command of the armed forces, Mr. Zelenskyy can take care of foreign policy, he said.
“If he does something good for Ukraine, that’s just a plus,” Pylypenko said.
Valentyna Horbachiova, 65, expressed the urgency, saying the trip abroad was “urgently needed at the moment” – especially in light of the recent attacks on Kiev.
“If he travels more and talks to people on high, maybe there will be peace here, maybe we will be supported,” she said while waiting to pick up her grandchildren from school.
There would be no point in Mr Zelenskyy staying in the capital out of solidarity, said Ms Horbachiova, who described “terrible” attacks she witnessed from her 18th-floor apartment.
“What would change if he sat here? We wouldn’t be shot at?” she asked. “We would be bombed just as often – maybe even more if they knew he was here.”