Thread by @Mylovanov

Time reporter Simon Shuster @shustry writes about the life of Zelenskyy in a bunker in the early days of Russia's invasion in his new book

He profiles his dramatic personal transformation from comedian to steely wartime leader, with new behind-the-scenes details 1/

The exclusive extract from the book was published in

The book itself is here: 2/ telegraph.co.uk/world-news/0/y…
amazon.com/Fight-Here-Vol…

Shuster write that in the early days of the war, Zelensky initially underestimated the threat but then displayed remarkable resolve, refusing evacuation offers and rallying allies, though the invasion revealed his earlier strategic mistakes 3/

Quote: "Through his actions before the invasion, Zelensky bore at least some of the blame for the flimsy state of the nation’s defences. He had spent weeks playing down the risk of a full-scale invasion and he’d refused the advice of military commanders to fortify the border." 4/

There is a fascinating detail about life in Zelensky's bunker. It soon settled into a stressful but livable routine, but Zelensky struggled being separated from his family and barely sleeping as he coordinated Ukraine's defense. 5/

Quote: "The nights were hardest for Zelensky. His bed was barely wide enough to toss and turn. The buzzing from his phone rarely stopped. ‘In those first days, I would wake everybody up,’ he said." 6/

The book shows how human Zelensky is. It writes that he was deeply shaken by the Kramatorsk train station attack that killed 60, struggling to focus in a pivotal meeting with a senior EU official about Ukraine's bid to join the bloc 7/

And how unafraid and committed to the future of Ukraine: "Instead of asking to be rescued, he demanded an answer to a question Ukraine had been posing for decades: would it ever be allowed to join the European Union?" 8/

As the war dragged on, Zelensky grew more ruthless, suspending opposition parties and stripping political rivals of Ukrainian citizenship when they tried entering the country 9/

"Around the 55th day of the invasion, the battle for the Donbas had started, and Zelensky invited me to his office to talk. His aides warned that his schedule was erratic. Lately, they said, so was his mood." 10/

A rift emerged between Zelensky and top general Valerii Zaluzhnyi over military strategy, with the commander gaining a cult following that challenged the president's standing as Ukraine's hero 11/

"But as the Russians went into retreat, Zelensky grew more confident. He formed his own military priorities, and they were not always aligned with the General’s. Soon the rift widened." 12/

On a secret, risky trip to newly liberated Kherson, an emotional but reckless Zelensky walked into crowds against security advice but buoyed liberated residents under shelling 13/

"At one point a cheer broke out – ‘Glory to Ukraine!’ Zelensky, to the frustration of his guards, went to greet the crowd, who surged forward. The reporters rushed up, locking the President in a crush that his security guards couldn’t control." 14/

The war transformed the formerly naive Zelensky into a stubborn, steely and unsparing leader channeling Ukrainians' anger, though privately aides worried about his unchecked power 15/

"Stubborn, confident, vengeful, impolitic, brave to the point of reckless and unsparing toward those who stood in his way, he channelled the anger and resilience of his people and expressed it with purpose to the world." 16/

In a brief recent encounter, the author found little trace left of the charismatic young comedian Zelensky once was, replaced by a bulldog-like figure fixed on continuing the fight 17/

"Maybe somewhere, most likely around the eyes, the young Zelensky from the comedy circuit continued to animate his features. But I couldn’t see much trace of him." 18/

Questions remain about how Zelensky will handle the fraught postwar transition and whether he will relinquish his expanded wartime powers 19/

"I don’t know how Zelensky will handle that fraught transition, whether he will have the wisdom and restraint to part with the extraordinary powers granted to him under martial law, or whether he will find that power too addictive." 20/

It is a very well written book and I am looking forward to reading it. While I disagree with very many of the angles and interpretations, it presents a complex picture of a wartime leader, who handles challenges and achieves impossible against all odds. 21/

Zelensky is a historic figure that is defending Ukraine from Russia and bringing it back to Europe after so many centuries. He is a strategist and a doer. He is direct, honest, and ruthless. He is Ukraine's best chance to succeed in the modern history of Ukraine. 22X