For Volodymir Zelenskyj, the last 41 days were the longest of his life. The Ukrainian president, who has been on the front lines since the war began, yesterday visited Bucha, where one of the darkest moments of the conflict took place and 300 civilians were reportedly executed. Thin, aged, with dark circles under his eyes and a long beard: a different person (understandably) compared to the young presidential actor elected by Ukrainians in May 2019.
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The transformation
In his final speech before Russia’s February 24 invasion, Zelenskyy appeared in a suit and tie to address the nation after Moscow recognized two breakaway Ukrainian regions as independent states. But in the past month of the war, the president has transformed himself into a soldier of the resistance, on the front lines, like so many of his citizens who have never before carried a gun. With many mercenaries who are supposed to kill him: According to Kyiv, he had already escaped three attacks in the first week of the conflict.
His “military” transformation with camouflage and bulletproof jacket in order, “uniform,” in which he videochatted to parliaments around the world asking for support against Russia, has now entered the collective imagination. So much so that there has long been talk of an “imitation” of French President Macron, who often and happily presents himself in the photos for the Instagram profile as the chief of the armed forces with an official sweatshirt.
According to a Harvard Medical School study cited by Insider, incumbent leaders live an average of three years shorter than candidates they beat in elections. A harsh reality that threatens to become even more dramatic for Zelenskyj, the actor who suddenly found himself in the middle of the war.