Photo/Illutration Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a news conference in Hiroshima on May 21. (Pool)

How should the leader of a country at war look and act? Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who made a surprise visit to Hiroshima on May 20, appears to embody one answer to the question.

Former U.S. President Richard Nixon once said, “People are persuaded by reason, but moved by emotion.”

“The leader necessarily deals to a large extent in symbols, in images and in the sort of galvanizing idea that becomes a force of history,” he also observed.

Zelenskyy’s unexpected journey to Hiroshima, a galvanizing and electrifying act, probably touched the heartstrings of many people around the world. Oddly, he was struggling with low approval ratings until Russia started invading his country in February last year.

His popularity rose after the war began apparently because he took a confrontational stance toward Russia in response to the opinions of many Ukrainians. His behavior seems to show that a country at war always demands a strong leader.

Zelenskyy has traveled around the world in vigorous diplomatic efforts to seek military and other aid for his country. He had just visited European countries before coming to Japan. War is an extension of politics.

Russia must be deeply irked by his diplomatic campaign against Moscow.

Some people may have mixed feelings about his visit to Hiroshima. I also think the city, which suffered the first-ever wartime nuclear attack, is the most inappropriate place to ask for weapons to be used in war.

But it would be unfair to say this to a country that has been battered by egregious aggression by another country.

On arriving in Hiroshima, Zelenskyy tweeted, “Peace will become closer today.”

The leaders who gathered in the city for the Group of Seven summit should discuss ways to make sure his words will become a reality.

--The Asahi Shimbun, May 21

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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