Summary

Simon Shuster (X, Website) joins Andrew (XLinkedIn) to discuss President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine. Simon is a senior correspondent at TIME. 


What You’ll Learn

Intelligence


  • Zelenskyy’s career pre-Presidency

  • Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion

  • Ukrainian public opinion of Zelenskyy

  • Zelenskyy’s relationship with Ukrainian intelligence 

Reflections


  • Contagious courage 

  • Leadership styles, techniques, and unique skills

And much, much more …


Quotes of the Week

“In researching [Zelenskyy’s] transformations as a person from comedian to politician to wartime leader, I also thought a lot about what qualities have remained consistent in him. And one of them for sure is this kind of, “go get ‘em” confidence … He just has this abiding confidence in his own ability to think on his feet, to not lose his balance, to just go into a new and unfamiliar space or a set of challenges and wing it, so to say.” – Simon Schuster 


Resources 

SURFACE SKIM

Spotlight Resource 


  • The Showman : Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky, Simon Shuster (William Morrow, 2024)

SpyCasts

Beginner Resources

DEEPER DIVE

Books



  • Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence, Y. Trofimov (Penguin Press, 2024) 


  • Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, D. Petraeus & A. Roberts (Harper, 2023) 


  • The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine, S. Plokhy (Basic Books, 2021)

Primary Sources 

Wildcard Resource


  • As Simon mentioned in this episode, President Zelenskyy won the Ukrainian version of one of Erin’s favorite shows, Dancing With The Stars, in 2006. 

  • Watch some of his winning dances with partner Olena Shoptenko here

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