What Does Public Service Mean?

What we can learn from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Like everyone else, I’ve been glued to cable news and the internet for the last few days following the events in Ukraine, and also like everyone, I’ve been awed by how Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has risen to the occasion in a way that the world did not expect. Zelenskyy is a former comedian — a Stephen Colbert type — and father of two, whose profile in the U.S. was mostly defined by the fact that he refused to be extorted by Donald Trump in exchange for manufacturing dirt on Joe Biden.

That was a good measure of character by itself, but watching the former actor and entertainer decide to stand up to Vladimir Putin’s aggression, don fatigues, and go to fight alongside his people goes way beyond what I think anyone expected from a guy who in a previous life made a living telling dick jokes.

When offered the opportunity to escape Ukraine with protection, he said — and this will be remembered — “I need ammunition, not a ride.”