How Zelensky Made the Truth More Compelling Than the Lies

I'm writing about Ukraine in the newsletter today, but a more important note first: If you're looking for a way to help the millions of people fleeing devastating violence in Ukraine, A.Team is launching a fundraiser to donate to Siepomaga, one of the leading organizations providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians in Poland. Over 800,000 Ukranians have fled to Poland, and Siepomaga is purchasing large quantities of the most needed supplies and transporting them to the Ukrainian border, where there are 40-60km lines to enter the country.

A.Team is matching donations up to $50,000 via this link, with the goal of raising $100,000+. If you want to help, please consider donating via the link above, which will ensure your donation is matched.

*****

As Vladimir Putin pushed his troops into Dontesk and Luhansk—the breakaway regions of the Ukraine—on February 22, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson asked his large conservative audience to question why they should hate Putin. 

“It may be worth asking yourself, since it is getting pretty serious, what is this really about? Why do I hate Putin so much? Has Putin ever called me a racist? Has he threatened to get me fired for disagreeing with him?” Carlson said, implying that “the left”—or at least his caricature of it—was more of an enemy than Putin. 

Carlson went on to call the invasion a mere “border conflict,” urging his viewers to think about why Washington hated Putin so much. Simultaneously, former President Trump praised Putin as a “genius” for sending in his forces, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was declaring his “enormous respect.”

As these endorsements flooded news headlines, it looked like Putin’s plan was working.

Core to Putin’s Ukraine strategy had been a tidal wave of disinformation—blitzing state-controlled media with blatant lies about genocide and neo-Naziism in Ukraine to hold the support of the Russian people, but also suppress support elsewhere. The story Putin is pushing is as far from the truth as one can imagine: That Russia is conducting a limited special military operation to “denazify” Ukraine and oust its drug-addled nazi leader, Zelensky. (Who is Jewish.) Anyone who deviates from this narrative faces 15 years in prison.

A big part of Putin’s goal was stirring up partisan disagreement about the war in the U.S. and Europe. With partisan disagreement comes apathy, and apathy would limit the potential consequences for Russia. 

In the U.S. the Republican party appeared split on whether to condemn the invasion at first. In Europe, there was skepticism that there’d be widespread support for serious sanctions, due to heavy reliance on Russian oil, wheat, and natural gas.

Yet just a few days later, Carlson switched sides, condemning Putin’s invasion and calling it a tragedy. Soon the rest of the GOP seemed to follow. Meanwhile, Germany committed €100B in defense spending to bolster its response to the invasion. And the West was uniting in a “Stunning Show of Unity Against Russia” that would soon tank the ruble.

Chart via Scott Galloway

So what happened? A lot. But I was struck by one factor in particular. Ukraine President Volodymr Zelensky was doing the impossible in the Facebook era: He was making the truth more compelling than disinformation.  

Zelensky’s Hero’s Journey

Before Vlodomyr Zelensky was elected President of Ukraine, he played one on TV. 

Servant of the People was an immensely popular show that aired in Ukraine from 2015-2019. The only reason it went off the air was because Zelensky—who starred as a high school teacher unexpectedly elected president after a rant against corruption went viral on YouTube—won 70 percent of the vote. His political party? Servant of the People.

In the opening days of the war, Zelensky proved to be far more than a TV president. As Russian forces marched towards Kyiv with Zelensky as its top target, he refused to flee, rallying his country to fight. His medium? A self-shot video from the capital, surrounded by his closest advisors. 

“Good evening, everyone,” he said, as he panned to show his advisors, “The leader of the party is here. The head of the presidential administration is here. Prime Minister Shmyhal is here. Podolyak is here. The president is here. We are all here, our soldiers are here, the citizens of the country are here. We are all here protecting our independence, our country, and we are going to continue to do so. Glory to the defenders of Ukraine.”

The video was perfectly crafted for those watching the war in real-time. Zelensky was stoic, delivering his message in a calm, confident cadence. His message was simple yet powerful: We are here, and we are going to protect our independence. And the medium he chose—a selfie video—was both relatable and perfectly crafted to engage people in the environment most would watch it: social media feeds.

His message reassured Ukranians that it was time to resist with everything they had. But just as importantly, Zelensky introduced himself to the world as the underdog protagonist, bravely fighting for democracy against all odds. 

That last part was key. Democracy is the unifying feature of the west. It’s a long-held shared value with the power to unify large, diverse coalitions into one team—most notably in World War II. 

It wasn’t long before the viral memes followed, presenting Zelensky as the leader defending it with all his might. Some were certainly insensitive and cringe-worthy, but they were also a sign of the impact Zelensky had made, and of the general public rallying to Ukraine’s side.

The next morning, he posted another video, directly combatting Russian propaganda that he had ordered the country to lay down their arms. It was again perfectly crafted for social media, and communicated in a few words what others might take hundreds to say: Do not believe the fake news. We are here to defend our state. We will protect you and your children. 

Great leaders are great storytellers. Zelensky—a natural born storyteller—clearly understands the power of narrative, particularly against an enemy like Putin who uses false stories in the evil way that only small men can. 

Zelensky also knows that stories are most powerful when they’re true. By staying to fight and risking his life, he inhabited the role of the hero with incredible courage: He’s not just staring down the possibility of death; by some estimations, he’s staring down the probability of it. And he made sure the world saw him in this light, rallying the West together as a collective team, working to save democracy, in a way they hadn’t since World War II.

Later that day, as the U.S. offered him a safe route out of the country, he responded, “I need ammunition, not a ride,” a line that sounded like it could have come from Bill Pullman in Independence Day. 

Forty-eight hours earlier, it had seemed like the West might largely stay out of the conflict, much like they had in Czechoslovakia 50 years prior. By February 28, sanctions against Russia had gone from “toothless to devastating.”

The Ukrainian people were responding in turn, with the military and volunteer civilian militias putting up a shockingly strong fight despite being severely outgunned. Videos of brave Ukrainians taking up arms flooded social media and the airwaves. Simultaneously, Russian troops were reportedly surrendering without a fight and sabotaging their vehicles, and veterans from the U.S. and Europe rushed to Ukraine to join its “international legion.”

“It’s a conflict that has a clear good and bad side, and maybe that stands apart from other recent conflicts,” David Ribardo, a former Army officer, told The New York Times. 

A story that could save us

As I sit here writing this, Ukraine remains in deep trouble. Russia’s army is gaining ground in the south and launching barbaric attacks against civilians. I’m scared for the people of Ukraine—especially the minorities facing horrifying discrimination as they attempt to flee. I’m scared for democracy. I’m scared for the world.

But I’m also inspired by a president who has done the impossible: make the truth more compelling than the lies.

As we’ve learned in brutal ways over the past decade, disinformation usually trumps the truth. When you’re just making shit up, it’s much easier to invent a compelling story that rips through Facebook’s algorithm. And as the invasion began last week, it seemed like a toss-up as to whether the truth could win. 

So far, thanks to Zelensky and the bravery of the Ukrainian people, it’s putting up a damn good fight. Let’s do everything we can to make sure it comes out on top.

If you’d like to support the Ukranian people, consider donating to Siepomaga, one of the leading organizations providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians in Poland. Siepomaga is purchasing large quantities of the most needed supplies and transporting them to the Ukrainian border, where there are 40-60km lines to enter the country.

A.Team is matching donations up to $50,000 USD via this link, with the goal of raising $100,000+.