In February 2022 Russian shells rained down on Kyiv as tanks crossed the border into Ukraine. At the time American forces prepared to evacuate President Volodymyr Zelensky for fear of his life. But Zelensky refused to abandon his country, saying ‘I need ammunition, not a ride,’ and quickly became the national symbol of Ukrainian resistance. But how did Zelensky, once an actor who played the president on television, come to be one of the most significant wartime leaders in recent history? The Zelensky Effect is the new book telling that story from Dr Olga Onuch, Senior Lecturer in Politics at the University of Manchester, and Henry Hale, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at George Washington University. The co-authors join our host Carl Miller, Research Director at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Media at the think tank Demos, to discuss it.  Did you know that Intelligence Squared offers way more than podcasts? We’ve just launched a new online streaming platform Intelligence Squared+ and we’d love you to give it a go.  It’s packed with more than 20 years’ worth of video debates and conversations on the world’s hottest topics. Tune in to live events, ask your questions or watch back on-demand totally ad-free with hours of discussion to dive into. The usual price is £14.99 a month, but we want to give our podcast listeners a special offer to try it out. For 10 days only, we’re offering a subscription for only £10 a month. Offer ends at midnight GMT on Tuesday 20th December. Visit intelligencesquaredplus.com and use the discount code MONTH10 or ANNUAL10 to start watching today.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices