Book Reviewed: Zelensky: A Biography by Serhii Rudenko

A Ukrainian hero There are thirty-eight chapters in this book which are written like essays. But the narratives are clear about an actor turned president of Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine war goes down in the history as one of the biggest failures of NATO led by the United States, because NATO had the opportunity to make peace before the start of war. Washington is run by a coterie of incompetent leaders who do not understand international politics but are good at flexing muscles when threatened. Warsaw Pact countries became the allied countries of NATO at a tremendously fast pace, immediately after the fall of Warsaw Pact nations led by the former Soviet Union. This directly threatened the integrity and security of Russian Federation. Because Ukraine was one of the last countries of Warsaw Pact Nations rumored to become a NATO country, which is situated on the western boarder of Russia. Putin initially offered to make peace, but Biden administration flatly rejected it. The war has become one of the biggest tragedies for Ukraine. No one is more surprised by Zelensky's power to inspire and energize his compatriots than Vladimir Putin, who expected Russia's conquest of its neighbor to be a walk-through and an outright victory within few weeks. On February 24, 2022, Russian soldiers brought death, torture, rape, looting, and devastation into Ukrainian homes, which changed the lives of Ukrainians. On March 31, 2022, the brutality of Russian soldiers in two towns near Kyiv - Bucha and Irpin were revealed to the world. Shooting of civilian cars by Russian tanks, the mass murder of handcuffed adults and children who were shot in the back. In the small town of Bucha alone, the bodies of more than three hundred people were buried in mass graves. Zelensky is no longer playing the role of president. He is the leader of a nation that is defending its freedom and independence. A leader who has gained extensive experience in governing his country under wartime conditions. Not a single current European leader has this experience. Zelensky delivered one of his strongest speeches before the UN Security Council. In an online delivery, he spoke emotionally about the crimes of the Russian occupiers. He proposed to the Security Council deprive Russia of its veto, or else it should disband. Lamenting the helplessness and outmoded nature of the UN, Zelensky said what everyone in the world had known but was afraid to say. The sixth president of Ukraine has come a long way, from being an actor to the leader of the Ukrainian nation. He has the courage to lead a nation from certain defeat to victory. Putin is certainly scared, and the morality of Russian armed forces are dwindling.