At the time, the purpose of his message was clear: to show beyond all fear or doubt that he was determined to stay and fight. This time, Zelensky’s video serves as a reminder that Russia’s early goals have failed and that, even with Russia occupying as much as a third of the country, the Ukrainians will continue to fight.
Zelensky is back on the streets of Kiev outside the presidential building, re-imagining his top officials.
“The leader of [our parliamentary] faction is here, the head of the president’s office is here, Ukrainian prime minister Shmyhal is here, [presidential adviser] Podolyak is here, the president is here,” he says, with his team standing behind him in the same position as in the February 25 video. “The Ukrainian armed forces are here. Most important are our people; the people of our state are here.”
“We’ve been defending Ukraine for 100 days,” he says. “The victory will be ours.”
While the new video mirrors the old one, notable differences show how the war progressed. The first was shot at dusk on the deserted streets of Kiev, with the president and his staff bathed in the soft yellow glow of street lamps, and dressed in the military outfits befitting a war leader.
In the new video, Zelensky and his top officials are dressed more casually on a bright, early summer day. The Ukrainian president looks less tired than on February 24, although he may be older than the 98-day gap would allow.
Russia’s early advance towards Kiev in late February and early March quickly stalled. Some experts believe that Moscow calculated that the capital would fall with little battle, and that they were surprised that Zelensky remained in Kiev and that his troops remained loyal despite overwhelming odds.
Zelensky, a former actor and comedian, has maintained daily contact with his country through social media and other direct addresses, winning over many who had doubted him before during his presidency.
Russian troops have shifted their focus to the east of the country. On Thursday, Zelensky said 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory had fallen into Russia, with fierce fighting around the eastern city of Severodonetsk.
One view of the Russian elite is that President Vladimir Putin hopes a prolonged war of attrition will exhaust not only Ukraine’s armed forces, but allies in North America and Europe, who have supplied Kiev with weapons and supplies while putting economic pressure on Russia. stepped up.
At the end of the video released Friday, Zelensky repeats a patriotic rallying cry.
“Glory to Ukraine!” he says.
“Glory to heroes!” his team behind him reacts in unison.