Quote (ofthevoid @ May 30 2023 12:47pm)
Most of these presidents or prime ministers are just public figures with a face and in reality don't actually hold significant power. Zelensky is not a 'real' decision maker in all of this, he's just the face. It's the advisors both in the US to Biden or in Ukraine to Zelensky that actually call the shots and those are not always so easy to fully know who they are.
Deep down I think Zelensky when he ran on a platform of reconciling Ukraine's relationship with Russia was at least somewhat genuine. Problem is, it's next to impossible to be an ideologue, you get molded to what the machine wants or you get spit out. Now he basically has two central roles. Act as the 'defiant' leader and go around the globe to try and collect as much money and support as possible.
I think he was installed as leader by Kolomoisky at the behest of the US neoliberal establishment but I don't think he has ever had much say in it.
My impression is that he was built up as a celebrity in Ukraine, not without merit since he is charming and entertaining, but with the exposure someone like Kolomoisky could give him.
Once he was well known I assume he was presented with the idea of "Servant of the People" which built up the idea of an unqualified nice guy running the country for himself and the rest of Ukraine.
One fairytale anti corruption campaign later and suddenly he realizes he has no idea how to run a country so he has to lean on establishment advisors which continue all the policies and procedures he was elected to stop while escalating the confrontation with Russia which coincidentally lines up nicely with US foreign policy goals.
I think he probably was genuine but isn't particularly smart, at least not when it comes to politics, so he was just used as a tool from the beginning.
Mostly conjecture but it paints him in a more favorable light than if he was aware where his actions would lead the country IMO.