Is Volodymyr Zelensky going down in history? He has been praised for his bravery after posting a string of videos in olive-green military garb and vowing not to leave Kyiv.
A monster is making its way towards Kyiv. Yesterday, a 40-mile line of tanks slowly approached the Ukrainian capital. Meanwhile, the bombing became more intense.
One man stands firm against the attack: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
He knows that if he is captured, he will be killed. He knows that Putin has ordered soldiers to kill him and his family. But he has stayed in his city, inspiring his troops and standing up for his country.
Not long ago, Ukrainians and foreigners would have dismissed Zelensky. He is most famous for his starring role in Servant of the People, a TV series about a history teacher who gets himself elected president by accident. He also won the Ukrainian version of Strictly Come Dancing.
While the threat of war ramped up he carried on sharing his hopes for a peaceful solution.
But all this has changed. In the first week of the war, he has inspired millions with his courage and determination. When the USA offered to evacuate him he refused. "I need ammunition, not a ride", he insisted.
It is easy to see why he is so popular. Everyone appreciates an unlikely hero.
For example, Napoleon Bonaparte was born into a poor minor noble family in Corsica in 1769. In the following 35 years, he changed the face of Europe.
Ulysses S Grant was languishing in poverty on a farm in Illinois when the American Civil War broke out in 1861. But he became the Union's most successful general and brought about an end to the war.
Is Volodymyr Zelensky going down in history?
Yes: Few war leaders in history have shown Zelensky's extraordinary personal courage. However the war ends, he will be remembered.
No: Zelensky is satisfying people's temporary need for a hero. But in the end, he is just a man. History will judge his career as a whole.
Or... Zelensky is only 44. If he survives the war, he is likely to have a long career after this: his place in history is not yet written.
Keywords
Union - The Northern, non-slave owning states that remained in the USA when the southern states seceded.
HEROES: Comedian leading Kyiv’s last stand
Glossary
Union - The Northern, non-slave owning states that remained in the USA when the southern states seceded.