More On Zelensky As Rhetorician

A writer for Red State, a never-Trump Salem Media outlet has nevertheless recognized the real merit of Zelensky's March 2 address to Ukraine, calling it "the greatest speech of our era", which is not empty hyperbole. He went to the effort of transcribing much of it from the subtitles on the screen:

During this war, we have had more unity than for over thirty years before. At first, we were equally scared, then we felt equally painful, and now we do not care. Except for victory. Except for the truth. Except for peace. Except for the tranquility we want to achieve. Except for the lives of our people, for when we are worried. Except for Ukraine. During this time, we have truly become one. We forgave each other a lot. We started loving each other. We help each other. We are worried for each other.

Yesterday morning on Freedom Square we were all Kharkiv residents. Then the enemy destroyed us all by striking at residential buildings in Borodyanka. We were all bombed in Kyiv last night. And we all died again in Babyn Yar — in a missile strike.

Although the whole world promises constantly “never again,” for any normal person who knows history, Babyn Yar is a special place of Kyiv. A special part of history. A special part of Europe. A place of prayer. A place of remembrance for the hundred thousand people killed by the Nazis. The place of old Kyiv cemeteries. Who should you be to make it a target for missiles? You are killing Holocaust victims for the second time.

uring the Soviet era, a TV center was built on the bones there and also a sports complex. Outbuildings. They built a park there. To erase the true history of Babyn Yar. But why was it bombed? This is beyond humanity. Such a missile strike shows that, for many people in Russia, our Kyiv is completely foreign. They know nothing about our capital. About our history. But they have an order to erase our history. Erase our country. Erase us all.

On the first day of the war, Uman was brutally bombed. Where hundreds of thousands of Jews come every year to pray. Then — Babyn Yar, where hundreds of thousands of Jews were executed.

I am now addressing all the Jews of the world — don’t you see what is happening? That is why it is very important that millions of Jews around the world do not remain silent right now. Nazism is born in silence. So, shout about the killings of civilians. Shout about the killings of Ukrainians. Last night and tonight, they continued to bomb our cities. Bombs. Missiles. Artillery. Machine guns. Targeting peaceful people. Again. Targeting residential areas. Again. Mariupol. Kharkiv. Kyiv. Zhytomyr. And other cities and towns of Ukraine. This cannot be explained by any human reason. Any reason of God.

What other military facilities threaten Russia? What other “NATO bases”? Saint Sophia Cathedral? Larva? St. Andrew’s Church? Whatever they dream of there — damn them! Because God is with us!

Think of this number: almost six thousand Russians, died. Russian military, in six days of war. This is without counting the losses of the enemy last night. Six thousand. To get what? Get Ukraine? It is impossible.

My dears, the time will come when we will be able to sleep. But it will be after the war. After the victory. In a peaceful country, as we need. Which we have always appreciated. And which we have never destroyed.

I ask all of you to take care of your loved ones. Take care of your brothers-in-arms. I admire you! The whole world admires you. From Hollywood stars to politicians. Today you, Ukrainians, are a symbol of invincibility. A symbol that people in any country can become the best people on earth at any moment.

Glory to Ukraine!

A speech from today continues his carefuly embedded theme expanding the narrative of Ukraine's independent history and equating Putin's invasion of 2022 with Hitler's invasion of 1941. As many know, World War II was called in the Soviet Union and presumably is still called in successor countries the "Great Patriotic War". (My transcription from subtitles):

[The occupiers] will remember what the patriotic war is.

Yes, for us it is a patriotic war.

We remember how patriotic wars begin.

And we know how they end. For the invaders.

Our army is doing everything to break the enemy completely. Almost nine thousand Russians were killed! In one week! In the Mikolaiv direction invaders have to take away the "two hundred" and "three hundred" with tens of helicopters. 19 years, 20 years [old]. . . What did they see in life, apart from this invasion? But most of them remain everywhere.

Ukraine does not want to be covered with military corpses. Go home. Your whole army. Tell your commanders that you want to live. Not to die. To live.

The war must be stopped and peace returned as soon as possible.

Today was, as usual, an active day of negotiations with the leaders of the member states of our anti-war coalition. I held talks with the heads of government of Norway and Israel. With the President of Kazakhstan. With the Emir of Qatar, Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani. With the President of the European Council, Charles Michel. With Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. With President of Poland, Andrejs Duda.

Brilliant Result at the UN General Assembly. 141 countries supported the resolution, which calls on Russia to withdraw troops from Ukraine immediately. 141 states stand for us! And for Russia -- only four states that voted against. Here is the list: North Korea, Eritrea, Syria, and Belarus. This is the list. These are the friends. And there will be no others for the state that does not know how to live in peace.

Today I held a meeting with the heads of regions and cities in Ukraine. The new head of the Odesa regional state administration is already working. Maksym Marchenko. Military professional. Our guys on the ground are working hard to organize "green corridors". To take out civilians. To bring medicine. Volhovaka. Cities of the Kyiv, Sumy, Kharkhiv regions, south of Ukraine. This is very difficult. Extremely difficult.

We are opposed by terror. But terror loses. Thanks to our heroes. Today I signed a decree awarding the title Hero of Ukraine to fifteen of our defenders. . .

He goes on to list the fifteen individuals, mostly given the awards posthumously, with their particular exploits. Elsewhere, he said,

'They wanted to destroy us. They failed. We've been through so much. And if anyone thinks that, having overcome all this, Ukrainians will be frightened, broken or surrender, they know nothing about Ukraine,' Zelensky said, adding: 'We will restore every house, every street, every city and we say to Russia: learn the word 'reparations'.

'You will reimburse us for everything you did against our state, against every Ukrainian, in full.'

'We are a people who in a week have destroyed the plans of the enemy,' he said. 'They will have no peace here. They will have no food. They will have here not one quiet moment.'

This guy is turning into a figure comparable to Winston Churchill or Charles de Gaulle.