The Zelensky Effect w/ Henry Hale and Olga Onuch

Join Henry Hale and Olga Onuch to discuss their book, The Zelensky Effect, and the historic events of 2022.

This event will begin with opening remarks from Dean Ayres of the Elliott School, followed by lectures by the co-authors, and a moderated Q&A with the audience. This event is hosted by the  Petrach Program on Ukraine and the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES). The talk will be in-person and livestreamed.

About the book

With Russian shells raining on Kyiv and tanks closing in, American forces prepared to evacuate Ukraine’s leader. Just three years earlier, his apparent main qualification had been playing a president on TV. But Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly retorted, ‘I need ammunition, not a ride.’ Ukrainian forces won the battle for Kyiv, ensuring their country’s independence even as a longer war began for the southeast.

You cannot understand the historic events of 2022 without understanding Zelensky. But the Zelensky effect is less about the man himself than about the civic nation he embodies: what makes Zelensky most extraordinary in war is his very ordinariness as a Ukrainian.

The Zelensky Effect explains this paradox, exploring Ukraine’s national history to show how its now-iconic president reflects the hopes and frustrations of the country’s first ‘independence generation’. Interweaving social and political background with compelling episodes from Zelensky’s life and career, this is the story of Ukraine told through the journey of one man who has come to symbolise his country.

About the authors

Henry E. Hale is Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University.

Olga Onuch is Professor of Comparative and Ukrainian Politics at the University of Manchester.