Definitive BBC series tells the extraordinary story of Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky
Wednesday: The Zelensky Story (BBC2, 9pm)
Installing TV stars in high office had arguably not gone too well in other countries – in the US, Donald Trump had recently been installed in the White House and was in the midst of a term fraught with controversy.
Still, hopes were high that Zelensky’s fresh approach to politics – and antipathy towards the corruption that many felt was rife within the Ukrainian political elite – might serve the country well. So long as he has a quiet term, with no great crises rearing their heads…
Then, on the morning of February 24th, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Russia was mounting a “special military operation” within Ukraine – effectively a full-scale invasion.
A war. And Ukraine with a comedian at the tiller.
And yet Ukraine and Zelensky in particular would go on to defy all expectations.
Many would argue that Zelensky has proved to be exactly the right person to lead his country through one of its darkest times. He was launched onto the world stage and proved to be statesmanlike, an impassioned speaker and someone who could hold his own before the leaders of the rest of the world.
He would appear before the presidents, prime ministers and chancellors of countries across the world and debate the need for arms and support in order to halt Russia’s march. Most importantly, he would be a visible leader to his own country, as well as a brilliant strategist – inspiring his armies to stand against oppression and claim unexpected victory after unexpected victory.
Only recently, he did the unthinkable: staged an incursion into Russian territory. The unthinkable at this point is just another day of the week to Zelensky, it seems.
But what is life like for the Zelenskys behind closed doors while all this is going on?
This remarkable series is filmed over several trips to Ukraine, as filmmaker Michael Waldman is granted rare access to interview President Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska, who speak in unguarded terms about their extraordinary lives.
What emerges is a portrait of a young couple plunged into an extraordinary situation: childhood sweethearts who got married then rose to stardom, before being thrown into politics, and into the heart of the biggest invasion in Europe since the Second World War.
As well as interviews with the family and their inner circle, the series includes new accounts from world leaders past and present, including Boris Johnson, US Representative Nancy Pelosi, and Advisor to Zelensky Mykhailo Podolyak, who each give dramatic first-hand testimony of their dealings with both Zelensky and Putin in the lead up to a full-scale military invasion.