In the early hours of February 24, 2022, the world expected Ukraine to fall. Instead, it witnessed the emergence of one of the most consequential leaders of the twenty-first century. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former comedian with no military background, refused evacuation, remained in Kyiv, and transformed a nation under siege into a symbol of democratic resistance.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Defense of a Nation is a rigorous, deeply researched, and compelling account of how leadership, identity, and moral authority shaped Ukraine's survival in the face of full-scale invasion. Moving beyond headlines and hero worship, this book offers a graduate-level analysis of Zelenskyy's rise-from his early life and cultural career to his unexpected presidency, and ultimately to his role as a wartime leader whose decisions altered global politics.
Blending political theory, history, media analysis, and international relations, the book examines how Zelenskyy navigated extraordinary constraints: leading a democracy under martial law, mobilizing civilians without militarizing society, communicating under constant threat, and securing international support without surrendering sovereignty. It explores how language, symbolism, and narrative became strategic tools alongside tanks and missiles-and why legitimacy, not force alone, proved decisive.
This is not simply a biography. It is a study of modern leadership under existential threat. The chapters trace how Ukraine's civic identity evolved during war, how democratic institutions adapted without collapsing, how economic and energy warfare reshaped survival, and how accountability and international law became weapons of resistance. The book also confronts uncomfortable questions: Can democracy survive prolonged war? Where is the line between emergency power and authoritarian drift? How does a leader balance symbolism with governance, and heroism with restraint?
Written in clear, authoritative prose, the book situates Zelenskyy within a broader historical and comparative framework, drawing lessons relevant far beyond Ukraine. It challenges assumptions that democracies are weak in crisis and that legitimacy is secondary to power. Instead, it argues that trust, transparency, and moral clarity can function as strategic assets in modern conflict.
Ideal for readers interested in global politics, leadership studies, international security, and contemporary history, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Defense of a Nation is both an essential record of a defining moment and a lasting contribution to the study of democratic resilience. It is a book about war-but also about courage, responsibility, and what it means to defend not only territory, but values.
This is the story of how a nation endured-and how leadership, when grounded in legitimacy rather than fear, can change the course of history.
