A photo of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky taken on February 23 this year, just a day before his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin ordered a special “military operation” in Ukraine, portrays a different story than the photo taken on April 4.
The large scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, deemed “unprovoked and unjustified” by the West, is no doubt an unprecedented crisis for the country. Shelling and constant bombings by Russian troops have left the eastern European nation in tatters.
Millions of people have been displaced and at least $100 billion worth of infrastructure, buildings and other physical assets have been destroyed.
Ukrainian authorities have claimed hundreds died and reports of loot, rape and torture by Russian troops also emerged. Although, Moscow has “categorically” denied all the allegations.
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Amid all the chaos, the Ukrainian President rose to the occasion and gradually become the face of Ukraine’s resistance with emotional appeals and impassioned speeches.
He has been urging world powers to send military assistance and humanitarian aid. He is also finding diplomatic ways to end the war without compromising Ukraine’s sovereignty and peace.
But recent pictures have shown how the ongoing war changed situations. On Monday (April 4), Zelensky visited the town of Bucha outside the capital Kyiv where dozens of corpses, some with their hands bound, were allegedly discovered after Russian forces withdrew.
A teary-eyed Ukrainian leader told reporters, “Every day, when our fighters enter and retake territory, you see what’s been happening.”
“These are war crimes and it will be recognised by the world as genocide. You stand here today and see what happened. We know that thousands of people have been killed and tortured with extremities cut off, women raped, children killed,” he told reporters, adding that “it’s genocide.”
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For the unversed, the 44-year-old Zelensky rose to fame via comedy. He was the star of a popular TV show in Ukraine called “Servant of the People”. In the show, he played the role of president.
When Zelensky addressed the nation after Russia recognised two Ukrainian separatist regions as independent states and moved troops to the border, he wore a suit and tie and boldly mentioned Ukraine’s resistance.
Meanwhile, when he addressed the nation on April 4 over alleged Bucha atrocities, he was wearing a bullet-proof vest and accompanied by military personnel and talked about “genocide” and “mass killings”.
The world has seen and lauded Ukrainian resistance, but at what cost? This is yet to be analysed.
Ever since the invasion began, the “unlikely wartime leader” swapped his tailored navy suits, white shirts and ties with a simple and basic olive green T-shirt — the kind people generally wear for workouts or mostly soldiers wear under military fatigues.
Zelensky wears a simple green T-shirt in solidarity with his fellow soldiers who are either dead or risking their lives to protect and defend the country.
A report by Insider stated that “Presidents often leave the office with more grey hair than they had when they entered”. The stress will be double if their tenure had a war or war-like situation.
But some dermatologists say Presidents experience an “expedited ageing process” due to the stress of the office. But some others state that it’s natural ageing.
Has the ongoing war taken a toll on the Ukrainian president?
WATCH | Gravitas: Ukraine accuses Russia of genocide in Bucha
