Since Russia attacked Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has been hailed around the world for his eloquent speeches.
– I have a dream. These words are familiar to each and every one of you, Zelensky said in a speech to the US Congress on Wednesday.
The US Congress welcomed him with standing ovations. When Zelensky spoke, he was referring to Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech.
– CONGRESS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj addressed the US Congress on Wednesday 16 March. Photo: Drew Angerer / AFP
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– He recreates the experiences, which the audience has had before, so that they can get the feelings, which he wants them to have and which are parallel to what he himself experiences in Ukraine now, says Jens Kjeldsen, professor of rhetoric at the University of Bergen to TV 2.
Zelensky also spoke about Pearl Harbor and the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center.
– He manages to arouse feelings and thoughts that already live in the audience and transfer them to the situation he has in Ukraine, Kjeldsen says.
– SHOWED: Zelensky showed a video of Ukraine being attacked by members of Congress. Photo: Scott Applewhite / AFP
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The president also showed videos of Russian attacks on Ukraine. The rhetoric professor’s deletion is not a coincidence.
– He uses this film to show strong scenes, so he does not have to describe them himself. He can instead appear heroic through the rhetoric, says Kjeldsen and points out that:
– He speaks directly to the Americans. He does what all good rhetoricians should do, he thinks of the audience, says Kjeldsen.
Conscious references
However, it is not only until the US Congress Zelenskyj has used well-known references to meet the audience he is speaking to.
– He did the same thing when he spoke to the British Parliament, where he talked about Winston Churchill. When he spoke to the Germans, he referred to the Berlin Wall, says Kjeldsen.
– GERMAN PARLIAMENT: Zelensky spoke to the German parliament on Thursday 17 March. Photo: TOBIAS SCHWARZ / AFP
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– It is remarkable how popular he has become, considering the American parliament, the British parliament, the German parliament and really for people all over the world, Kjeldsen says.
Kjeldsen has noticed one thing in particular about Zelenskyj’s popularity.
– When he gives these speeches, it starts with the members of parliament or the audience getting up before he can say anything at all. So he’s a rhetorical superstar at the moment.
May have a problem
According to the rhetoric expert, there are also disadvantages to being referred to, as a very good speaker.
– He does it incredibly well, but at the same time there is a risk here, says Kjeldsen and refers to former US President Barack Obama, who is also known for being an exceptionally good speaker.
– Hillary Clinton used it in the election campaign. Hun sa: “What we need is a doer, not a talker.” So if you are very good at talking, then you may not be so good at shopping, says Kjeldsen.
– VISIT: Zelensky is visiting residents of Ukraine who have been injured in an attempt to flee the country. Photo: Ukraine presidency / AFP
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Kjeldsen, on the other hand, believes that Zelenskyj is a man of action and that he shows that he is there for his people.
– He stands in the middle of Kyiv and speaks out to the world. He is not a man who has fled Ukraine. He shows by his actions that he is a man, who takes care of Ukraine and meets ordinary people. And it is also a rhetoric, it is not just the words that matter, he says.
– SHOOTER TOMB: Zelensky met officials at the front line in Ukraine before the war broke out. Here he is visiting the Donetsk region on December 6 last year. Photo: Ukrainian presidential press-service / AFP
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The president announced early on that it was inappropriate to leave the country and that he would stay in the capital Kyiv.
– Zelenskyj is in many ways a new form of war rhetorician, Kjeldsen believes.
Two completely different leaders
Zelensky’s way of being stands in stark contrast to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
– DIFFERENT: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, French President Emmanuel Macron and Russian President Vladimir Putin in the same picture. The photo was taken in Paris, France in December 2019. Photo: Alexey NIKOLSKY / SPUTNIK / AFP
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– Putin is in many ways the old-fashioned and traditional war rhetorician, while Zelensky seeks identification in all the speeches he gives.
– Zelenskyj is unique in many ways because he gets three roles: the president, the military leader and the ordinary man, says Kjeldsen.
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