# Zelensky, the weary hero entering his fourth year of war > Four years ago, the world discovered a former actor who had become president almost by historical accident. Today, on the eve of - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Analysis - Published: 2026-07-07 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/zelensky-le-heros-fatigue-qui-entame-sa-quatrieme-annee-de-guerre ## Introduction: a president forged by fire ### The comedian is gone for good Four years ago, the world discovered a former actor who had become president almost by historical accident. Today, on the eve of the **NATO summit** taking place in Turkey in early July, an entirely different man is preparing to meet **Donald Trump** and allied leaders. **Volodymyr Zelensky** has been described as being in **good spirits** by observers close to the summit preparations, a confidence fed by months of concrete battlefield results rather than by reassuring words alone. This transformation owes nothing to chance. It is the product of more than **four years** of full-scale war since the Russian invasion of **February 2022**, a conflict now entering its **fifth year**. The **Ukrainian president** arriving at the summit is no longer the hesitant figure of the invasion's early days: he is a **wartime leader** who has learned to negotiate with the world's greatest powers without ever losing sight of the **ultimate goal** — his country's survival. ### Confidence forged by facts, not by words NATO Secretary General **Mark Rutte** himself acknowledged, on **July 6**, that **Ukraine** has been doing considerably better in recent months, citing successful Ukrainian strikes on Russian supply lines and increased financial support from the **European Union**. That is an admission carrying real weight coming from a man not prone to diplomatic exaggeration. That improvement translates concretely into Ukrainian missile and drone strikes against Russian supply routes far behind the front, as well as against energy infrastructure and defense-industrial capacity in **occupied Crimea**. Rutte in fact praised Ukraine's ability to strike deep into Russian territory while preventing Moscow's forces from making major advances along the front line. *I won't pretend to know what's really going through Zelensky's head as he prepares for a summit like this. But one thing strikes me: this man has survived four years of pressure that few Western leaders could withstand without cracking. Calling him a weary hero isn't a cliché — it's an honest observation of what power under fire does to a human being.* ## The July 4th calls: sandwich diplomacy ### Trump, Zelensky, Putin: a sequence that shifts the tone The weekend before the summit, a phone call took place between **Trump** and **Zelensky** on **July 4**, American Independence Day, followed by a separate exchange with **Vladimir Putin** the next day. This three-part diplomatic sequence illustrates a method we now know well from **Trump**: talk to Kyiv, talk to Moscow, keep every option open while projecting an image of control. **Trump** himself said on **July 6** that Putin **"wants to end it,"** adding that **Zelensky** also wants to end the war now, and that the subject would be raised at the **NATO summit**. An optimistic statement, but one that deserves the usual caution reserved for American presidential pronouncements on this file. *I harbor no illusions about the transactional nature of this diplomacy. Trump never does anything out of pure moral conviction. But if this balancing act ends up saving Ukrainian lives, I'm willing to applaud the method even while despising the calculation behind it.* ## The bitter memory of the Oval Office still lingers ### From public humiliation to a steadier relationship This calmer climate contrasts sharply with the **2025** clash in the **Oval Office**, where **Trump** told **Zelensky** he **"didn't have the cards."** That memory, still fresh in the Western collective mind, measures the distance traveled: from a public humiliation to a steadier working relationship, even if it remains fundamentally transactional on the American side. The contrast is equally striking with the **2025 summit in The Hague**, where **Trump** left **Zelensky** uncertain until the last moment about a possible bilateral meeting. This time, the **meeting** appears settled, a sign that the **American administration** now sees clear **strategic value** in publicly showing support for the Ukrainian president in front of the world's cameras. ### A trust built over time It would be naive to believe this relationship is now permanently at ease. The recent history of this diplomatic pairing is full of abrupt reversals, and nothing guarantees the next disagreement won't reawaken last year's tensions. But for now, the signal being sent is one of steadier mutual recognition. This **relative stability** benefits **Kyiv** directly, which needs **predictability** in its relationship with its main arms supplier in order to plan its military operations over the medium term, rather than living at the mercy of American presidential moods. *I refuse to give in to easy euphoria over this sequence of calls. Trump remains unpredictable, and his inconsistency on this file has cost Ukraine dearly in the past. But I note, with deliberate caution, that the tone has changed. That is not nothing after the humiliation of the Oval Office.* ## The price of resistance: a battered but standing nation ### The coldest winter since the invasion It must never be forgotten, behind the summits and phone calls, the human price paid by Ukrainians. Russian strikes on energy infrastructure cut heating and electricity to millions of people during **the coldest winter since the February 2022 invasion**. In **November**, **Zelensky** had called the situation one of the most difficult moments in his country's history, as the **United States** threatened to cut off support if Kyiv did not accept a **28-point** peace plan forcing it to cede territory to Russia. **Ukraine** and its European allies rejected that plan, a decision that required considerable **political courage** in the face of American pressure. It is precisely in these moments of **extreme vulnerability** that a leader's true character reveals itself, and **Zelensky**, once again, chose to refuse **capitulation dressed up as compromise**. ### European aid that arrived late, but arrived nonetheless The crucial **90 billion euros** promised by the **European Union** was delayed for months by internal political disputes in Europe, a delay that directly weighed on Ukraine's ability to hold out during the most critical months. Those billions have finally begun reaching Kyiv, giving some breathing room to a war economy running on fumes. This **gap** between battlefield urgency and European bureaucratic slowness illustrates a **structural tension** the **West** must resolve if it wants to remain credible in the eyes of **Russia**, **China**, **Iran**, and **North Korea**, all of whom are closely watching the consistency, or inconsistency, of Western democracies. *I can't help thinking of all those Ukrainian civilians who spent a winter without heat while European bureaucrats negotiated the terms of a financial release. Western solidarity exists, but it has a chronic flaw: it always arrives a little too late.* ## Kyiv's diplomatic red line ### No territorial concession imposed from outside Despite mounting fatigue, **Zelensky** has maintained a consistent position since the war began: no territorial concession imposed from the outside. Facing the **28-point** peace plan raised in November, he held firm, refusing to turn an act of aggression into a territorial precedent acceptable to **Moscow**, **Beijing**, or **Tehran**. This **firmness** is not gratuitous stubbornness. It is a lucid strategic reading: yielding on this principle would send a **catastrophic signal** to every authoritarian regime tempted by territorial expansionism, from **Taiwan** to the Baltic states. The outcome of this file sets a **precedent** the entire world is watching. ### An open letter to Putin, left without a serious reply **Zelensky** sent an open letter in **June** calling for direct peace talks, which **Putin** rejected. The Ukrainian president responded with a touch of biting irony, retorting that Putin apparently hadn't read the first version, a reply that reflects both his exasperation and his ability to keep his composure in the face of Kremlin provocations. On **June 25**, he also asked his security service to run a **40-day** influence operation aimed at convincing **Putin** to end the war, proof that he continues to mobilize every available lever, even the most subtle ones, to advance the cause of peace without ever sacrificing Ukrainian sovereignty. *I find that biting reply to Putin genuinely satisfying. It sums up four years of psychological warfare in a single line: on one side a dictator playing for time, on the other a president who refuses to be humiliated even in the most formal exchange.* ## A relentless international campaign ### Ireland, one stop among many On **July 1**, visiting **Ireland**, which then held the rotating six-month presidency of the **European Union**, **Zelensky** restated a truth too often overlooked by certain war-weary Western circles: without Ukrainian experience and its security expertise, tested in modern warfare, it is simply impossible today to guarantee Europe's collective security. That line, delivered far from the spotlight of major summits, sums up **Zelensky's communication strategy** over the past four years: turning every trip, even the most low-key, into an opportunity to reposition **Ukraine** not as a country to be rescued, but as an indispensable **security partner** for all of **Europe**. ### The story of a Ukraine that strikes back, not one that merely endures A former British military attaché aptly summed up this shift, noting that the mood has changed since winter, and that the story of a Ukraine that survives, strikes back, and carries the fight to the Russians, all the way to Crimea, is not lost on NATO's leaders. That is precisely the narrative **Zelensky** intends to carry to Ankara: that of a country no longer content to survive, but one inflicting real costs on the Russian aggressor, on its own territory, all the way into occupied Crimea. *I remain convinced that this battle of narrative matters almost as much as the one on the ground. A country perceived as a passive victim eventually exhausts the patience of its supporters. A country perceived as an actor that strikes back and gains moral ground keeps the attention and the funding of the West.* ## The Russian gauge starts to wobble ### Putin, a popularity that is eroding While **Zelensky** regains international credibility, on the Russian side signs of fatigue are piling up. A poll by the Russian institute **VTsIOM** from **July 3** showed a **3.4-point** drop in trust toward **Putin**, now at **73.3 percent**. The independent **Levada Center** measured a **5-point** drop in his approval rating, down to **74 percent**, the lowest level since **February 2022**. Only **52 percent** of Russians now believe their country is headed in the right direction, down from **61 percent** previously. Numbers that, even filtered through an authoritarian regime with little appetite for statistical transparency, reveal a real erosion of popular support for the war. ### The fuel that's missing, the anger that's rising A Russian analyst summed up the situation with clarity, noting that this erosion has absolutely no direct effect on **Putin**, while acknowledging that fatigue is rising and could turn into lasting resentment. A researcher specializing in the subject added that fuel shortages, caused notably by Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, affect segments of the population different from those hit by mobile network outages, creating an entirely new pool of discontent. **Russia**, moreover, spent more than **2.7 billion dollars** propping up its refineries in **June** alone, a direct **economic cost** of the Ukrainian campaign of strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. *I hold no illusions about how fragile Putin's grip on power actually is. An authoritarian regime can absorb an erosion of popularity for years without wavering. But every lost point of trust is one more crack, and cracks always widen with time.* ## The drone file: between strategy and caution ### A signature that keeps waiting According to a person familiar with the matter, **Zelensky** is deliberately delaying the signing of a cooperation agreement with the **United States** on drone production, seeking better terms and a fairer recognition of the deal's value from senior American officials. His spokesperson denied that version, insisting no deliberate delay was involved. Whether or not that account is accurate, the episode illustrates an **essential reality**: **Ukraine** no longer signs whatever agreements are put in front of it without hard bargaining over the terms, a **major shift** from the war's early years, when Kyiv found itself in a near-permanent position of supplicant. ### Production diplomacy extended across Europe Alongside the American file, **Zelensky** has proposed a drone agreement to the **European Union** as well as bilateral agreements with numerous European states for joint defense production. This strategy of diversifying industrial partnerships reduces Ukraine's dependence on any single supplier, however powerful. It is a **strategic lesson** **Zelensky** appears to have fully absorbed: never depend on a single ally, however generous it may be one day and however unpredictable it might become the next, as the American drone file under the **Trump** administration has shown. *This ability to negotiate firmly with the Americans over drones, rather than accepting whatever terms are offered, strikes me as one of the clearest signs of the political maturity Zelensky has gained. He is no longer the president who says thank you for every delivery — he now negotiates as an equal.* ## The front line, theater of a war of attrition ### Donetsk, an advance that costs Moscow dearly On the ground, Russian troops continue advancing in the fortified **Donetsk** region, but at a considerable cost. This slow, expensive progress illustrates the failure of Russia's original blitzkrieg strategy, replaced long ago by a war of attrition where every kilometer gained is paid for in Russian lives. Under this pressure, Russian attacks on **Kyiv** show the urgent need to reinforce Ukrainian air defenses, as the shortage of American **Patriot** interceptors grows more acute. Overnight strikes between **July 5 and 6** killed at least **14 people**, a brutal reminder that high-level diplomacy never stops the missiles. ### Striking Russia, the new strategic reality At the same time, **Ukraine** now strikes deep into Russian territory, targeting energy infrastructure and critical defense-industrial capacity. This offensive capability, unthinkable in the conflict's early months, gives **Zelensky**, according to several European allies, a stronger negotiating hand with both his American and Russian counterparts. A Ukrainian lawmaker confidently summed up this dynamic, saying that at the **NATO** summit, **Zelensky** will have concrete results from Ukraine's armed forces to present, and that Ukraine can certainly surprise its allies again. *I refuse to accept the idea that war could become an acceptable routine. Fourteen deaths in a single night of bombing is never just another statistic. It is fourteen lives that should weigh on every negotiator sitting at the table of talks.* ## What the West still has to prove in Ankara ### Deliveries, not just handshakes For **Kyiv**, the value of the **Ankara** summit will never be measured by official photographs but by the actual delivery of air defense systems and munitions. After four years of war, Ukrainian officials have learned to distinguish spectacular announcements from commitments truly honored, a bitter but necessary lesson. **Zelensky** therefore arrives at this summit with a calculated blend of confidence and vigilance: confidence because recent military results speak in his favor, vigilance because the history of this war is littered with Western promises that took months, even years, to materialize on the ground. *I weigh my words carefully here: Zelensky is not perfect, no wartime leader is. But his endurance across four years, without ever breaking on the essentials, deserves to be recognized for what it is — an exercise in political courage rarely seen at this scale.* ## The ultimate test of Western credibility ### A precedent for every threatened democracy The outcome of this meeting extends far beyond the bilateral Ukraine-U.S. framework alone. It sets a precedent for any democracy facing territorial aggression, from **Taiwan** against **China** to the Baltic states against any future Russian escalation. A West capable of sustaining its support for **Ukraine** over time sends a credible message of deterrence to every authoritarian regime tempted by expansionism. This may be the heaviest responsibility now resting on **Zelensky's** shoulders at this stage of the war: he is no longer defending only his country — he embodies a test of character for the entire free world. ### Western vigilance remains the only watchword Every summit that produces concrete commitments sends a signal to the authoritarian axis formed by **Moscow**, **Beijing**, **Tehran**, and **Pyongyang**: the Western fatigue predicted for years by Kremlin propagandists has not materialized. That is a message **Zelensky** wants translated into concrete action, not just reassuring speeches. The credibility of the entire free world is now at stake as much in **Ankara** as on Ukraine's front lines, a reality too many Western commentators continue to underestimate. *This is why I refuse to treat this summit as just another diplomatic date on the calendar. It is a collective test of character for the West, and Zelensky has become, almost despite himself, its most visible embodiment.* ## Lessons from a man forged by adversity ### From comedian to commander-in-chief It's easy to forget, having grown used to seeing him in fatigues during his international trips, that **Zelensky** had no military experience before this war. His journey from actor to president, then to wartime leader, remains one of this century's most singular political trajectories, forged not by personal ambition but by the sheer necessity of national survival. This forced transformation partly explains why he continues to command near-unanimous respect across Western chancelleries, even among those who, like some American officials, don't always share his approach to negotiating with Moscow. ### A model of resilience on a national scale Beyond his own person, **Zelensky** has become the symbol of a national resilience few would have believed possible in **February 2022**. That resilience, built from the daily sacrifices of millions of anonymous Ukrainians, deserves to be remembered every time the president's name alone gets invoked. It is this collective dimension of Ukrainian resistance that **Zelensky** carries with him into every summit, every phone call, every negotiation, aware that he represents far more than his presidential office alone. *I'll say it again, plainly: Zelensky remains, in my eyes, the clearest embodiment of political courage this decade has produced. One can debate his tactical choices, never his courage. He is a hero, and I will never apologize for saying so directly.* ## What next winter could still demand ### Constant vigilance over energy As **Ukraine** approaches the **NATO** summit with renewed confidence, Ukrainian officials know next winter will once again be a critical period for the country's energy infrastructure. Russian strikes on the power grid have never stopped, and nothing guarantees they will end after this summit. That is why deliveries of air defense systems remain, for **Zelensky**, the absolute priority of the discussions ahead, far more than symbolic declarations of support that, however comforting, protect no civilian from the bombs. ### A military equation that remains precarious Despite recent tactical successes, the overall military equation remains precarious. Russia still holds considerable human and material resources, even if eroded, and no local Ukrainian victory guarantees a swift end to the conflict as a whole. **Zelensky** knows this better than anyone, having learned never to overinterpret a single success as a definitive turning point in the war. *I will stay cautious until I see this conflict stabilize for good. This war's recent history is full of moments of optimism followed by brutal setbacks. Caution is not pessimism — it is simply clear-headedness.* ## Conclusion: the man the war has shaped ### Neither actor nor saint, but a clear-eyed wartime leader The **Zelensky** arriving at the **NATO** summit this summer of **2026** bears no resemblance to the caricature some attached to him at the start of his term. Four years of war, exhausting negotiations, and national mourning have transformed him into a strategist capable of standing his ground with both **Moscow** and **Washington** without ever abandoning the fundamental goal: preserving his country's sovereignty. ### Fatigue is not defeat Yes, he is tired. How could he not be, after carrying the weight of a nation at war on his shoulders for more than four years. But that fatigue has never dented his determination, and it is precisely this rare combination — physical and moral exhaustion paired with unbroken will — that makes him a figure **History** will remember long after this conflict's final outcome. *I'll close this column the way I opened it: with cautious admiration for Ukrainian endurance and lasting distrust of the calculations coming out of Washington and Moscow. History will judge this summit by its results, not by its official photographs.* ## What this column ultimately holds onto ### A symbol that has become indispensable At the end of this analysis, one conviction remains: **Zelensky** is no longer merely the president of a country at war — he has become a living symbol of democratic resistance against authoritarianism, a role he neither sought nor anticipated back in **2019** when he was elected. That role, however heavy to carry, he continues to shoulder with a steadiness that commands respect, even from those who sometimes question certain tactical choices made by his government. ### The final question that remains open One question remains that no one, not even **Zelensky**, can answer with certainty: how much longer this war will last, and how many summits like the one in **Ankara** will be needed before a genuine ceasefire finally takes hold. While waiting for that answer, one thing remains certain: the man arriving at this summit is no longer who he was four years ago, and that transformation alone deserves to be told. *I close this column convinced of one thing: whatever happens in Ankara, history will remember that this man never fled, never yielded on the essentials, and never stopped believing in his country's victory.* **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - Ministry of Defence of Ukraine — official communications, July 2026 - Office of the President of Ukraine — speeches and official statements, July 2026 - Armyinform — Ukrainian armed forces news, July 2026 ### Secondary sources - The Straits Times — It's a different, more confident Ukraine President Zelensky coming to NATO this year, July 7, 2026 - Foreign Policy — geopolitical analysis, July 2026 - The Guardian International — coverage of the Ukrainian conflict, July 2026 --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/zelensky-le-heros-fatigue-qui-entame-sa-quatrieme-annee-de-guerre