When history looks back on this war, on this moment, on these three years of bloodshed and sacrifice, one name will shine above all others: Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy.
In the week in which we mark three years since the invasion, we need to talk about this man, because no one truly knows what could have happened if he hadn’t been there to lead. This is a man who could have left. He is a man who was expected to leave.
The world assumed he would run. Western leaders whispered about setting up a Ukrainian government-in-exile abroad, like invaded countries did so many times in history. They thought it was the “smart” move, the “practical” move. Many embassies in Kyiv packed up and left, destroying sensitive equipment before crossing the border, never expecting to return.
“I need ammunition, not a ride”
But Zelenskyy refused. He looked at the Russian tanks rolling toward Kyiv. He heard the American offer to evacuate him. And he said the words that would define him forever: “I need ammunition, not a ride.” That moment changed everything.
The citizens of Ukraine, inspired by the president’s defiance, fought harder than anyone ever imagined. Millions of civilians, many of them who had never operated a rifle before, joined the soldiers and went to the frontlines. The world saw Zelenskyy standing tall in the middle of pure chaos and, because he stood, everyone else did too.
Then Ukraine won the Battle of Kyiv. Almost three years ago now, it was our first big victory of the war. Not only the first victory, but also the first sign that this war was not going to turn out as Putin had planned. Since then Zelenskyy has never stopped fighting. To this day, he regularly visits the frontlines to meet with warriors.
We are talking about a man of action, not words: “If the deal is that we just give up our territories, and that’s the idea behind it, then it’s a very primitive idea. I don’t need a fantastic idea, I need a real idea, because people’s lives are at stake.” These are not the words of a man looking for an easy way out. These are the words of a leader who understands the cost of surrender. He recognises that, at this point in history, this war is not just about land. It is about people. It is about justice. It is about the right of a nation to exist.
Courage against cowardice
Our President understands this in a way that many other leaders do not. If he represents the best of humanity, the resilience to stand against evil, President Trump represents its worst. Not just incompetence, not just corruption, he actually embodies a void where morality should be. There is no honour among his ambitions, no higher cause in his conquests. He is a man who sees loyalty as something to exploit, who views his own country not as something to protect, but as something to own.
While Ukraine battles on the frontlines for freedom, the West in general, but America in particular, faces its own war: truth against lies, justice against corruption, courage against cowardice. The stakes are no different. Here in Ukraine, Putin wants to crush us. Over there, Trump wants to tear America apart from the inside.
If you want to know what leadership looks like, look to Ukraine. Look to the man who walks through trenches and visits soldiers on the frontlines. Look to a president who refuses to abandon his people, who has risked everything. Not for power, not for wealth, but for the simple belief that his country is worth fighting for. That is leadership. That is courage. That is what we should demand in all our leaders.
Zelenskyy’s leadership is not just on the battlefield and not just in strategy. It’s also in his voice. He has spoken to every major government, every parliament, every organization that matters in this fight. He has stood before the U.S. Congress and told them why this war is so crucial, not just for Ukraine but for the future of democracy itself.
We resist because we are Ukrainians
And the world listened. Because when he speaks, he does not just represent himself. He represents the soldiers holding the trenches. He represents the families sleeping in subway stations. He represents the mothers, the fathers, the children, every Ukrainian who refuses to be erased.
One day, this war will end and Ukraine will be at peace again, united and prosperous. Then Zelenskyy will no longer have to fight. And when that day comes, may he sit peacefully on one of our beautiful Black Sea beaches, in a free Crimea, after an uninterrupted night of sleep, and watch his country rise from the ashes.
Because he did not give up. Because he stood when others would have fallen. Because he led when the world needed him most. Because through the hardest three years in Ukraine’s history, no one would be doing a better job than him.
Thank you for everything Volodymyr. We resist because we are Ukrainians.
And every day of these three years, you remind us what that truly means.
Sussex Bylines is publishing this tribute to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to mark the week of the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The article originally appeared on the author’s Substack account: https://substack.com/@viktorkravchuk Buy Viktor a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/vikvkravchuk.
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