11 February 2025
WHY VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY IS THE GRETA THUNBERG OF GEOPOLITICS
To many observers, Volodymyr Zelensky bears more than a passing resemblance to Greta Thunberg—not in appearance, but in the way both have become global symbols of moral urgency. Supporters see Thunberg as the unfiltered voice of climate activism, just as they view Zelensky as the embodiment of Ukrainian resilience in the face of Russian aggression. Both have exhibited characteristics that some associate with autism spectrum disorders: Greta Thunberg is open about her Asperger’s diagnosis, while a few commentators—rightly or wrongly—have speculated that Zelensky’s focused, intense communication style might stem from a similar place. Whether that speculation has any merit is debated; official statements do not confirm it, and he has never publicly admitted to being on the spectrum.
Critics, however, are far less enthusiastic. Unlike Thunberg, whose adversaries primarily complain about her youth or her uncompromising stance on fossil fuels, Zelensky has been thrust into a geopolitical maelstrom that he himself helped escalate. Some voices insist that, after Joe Biden, Zelensky bears the greatest responsibility for pushing the conflict with Russia instead of seeking compromise—effectively locking Ukraine into a prolonged and devastating war that have sent hundreds of thousands of citizens of Ukraine and the flower of its youth to an early grave. For these detractors, the once-rousing speeches and global fundraising tours are no more than a PR offensive distracting from the suffering on the ground of the Ukrainian people while enriching Zelinski and his coterie of perhaps the most corrupt oligarchy in the world.
Further, some say Zelensky, a former comedian and initially a likable political outsider, has lost international goodwill by aligning closely and so evidently, with American goals to preserve its hegemony., Europe's hatred of Russia dating from the times of Napoleon and Hitler, and NATO interests. His decisions have put Ukraine in the deepest peril, reshaping a conflict that might have been contained under a different leadership approach, one based on neutrality and respect the interests of russian speakers in what was a pluralistic country. Just as not everyone appreciates Thunberg’s impassioned calls to “panic,” the Ukrainian president’s dogged appeals for more money, arms and sanctions have sickened those who believe his strategy prolongs the crisis.
In the end, Zelensky’s role in Ukraine’s struggle echoes Thunberg’s climate activism: both wield a moral narrative that does inspire millions, yet also provokes fierce backlash from those Western minorities who read the independent press. Whether seen as heroic figure or polarising agitator, each has come to personify a cause driven by unwavering conviction, yes, but far from universally admired.