An actor who is a politician or a politician who is an actor? Volodymir Zelenski has done it again. This time in a telematic appearance at the congress of the Chamber of Deputies which, for security reasons, was restricted to 10 minutes. Enough time for the Ukrainian president to deploy his best weapon and his best strategy: words.

In his twelfth address to a foreign parliament, Zelenski begins his speech by apologising for the delay caused by his participation in the UN Security committee , which was held almost simultaneously. This is no small detail, as it translates into respect for the time and space he has been given to address his interlocutors.

The speech website opens with Zelenski stating that he is sure that the audience understands the pain and hope of the Ukrainian people, as he is also committed to democracy and respect for people. sample of this in Ukraine is, in the president's words, the diversity of religions that coexist in the country, a diversity that Russia wants to destroy and which has been evident since 2014 with the aggression in Crimea and now with the 41 days that this war has been going on for.

As in his various speeches to the international community in the parliamentary context, Zelenski has again appealed for solidarity and support for strong sanctions against Russia. Although the general intention is usually the same, the message he conveys is always tailored to the audience by rescuing symbols and historical references that are significant for the specific audience he is addressing. If it is the United States, the link will be 9/11 or Pearl Harbor; if it is the Germans, it will talk about walls that have been erected; if it is in Israel, it will allude to the Holocaust and highlight its Jewish origin. In the case of Spain, the reference letter has been April 1937 and the bombing of Guernica during the Spanish civil war. speech This strategy sample masterfully combines the three resources or ways of persuasion of Aristotelian rhetoric: ethos (credibility that the speaker projects before the audience), logos (evidence and logical reasoning around which arguments are built) and pathos (empathy and feelings that are communicated through the speech). 

Regarding the first aspect, we could say that since the war began, Zelenski has earned, practically by heart, the image of an honest, credible, charismatic, charismatic speaker who is linked to the audience and who inspires the trust and respect of his people.

Regarding the second resource, the Ukrainian president offers a clear and coherent speech , which is supported by logical arguments backed by solid and relevant evidence for those listening to it, such as the analogies he draws between his country's status and the historical references mentioned above.

On the third resource or pillar on which persuasion is based, we see that Zelenski succeeds, from the two previous strategies, in establishing a shared emotional connection with the audience. The narration about the desperate mothers who have written the data of their children on their backs in pen, so that they could eventually be identified and rescued, moves and undoubtedly awakens the empathetic side of the listener. The same applies when he enumerates the hardships of the Ukrainian people, adrift without food or medicine.

The last part of speech is a call to action. Zelenski calls for Spanish banks and certain Spanish companies to stop doing business with Russia but, more importantly, for international law to be respected. The speech masterfully closes with Glory to Ukraine, which is followed by a standing ovation from the members of parliament.

All the aspects described above are also reinforced in the staging of speech. The transformation of the Ukrainian president's attire since the war began cannot be overlooked. The change from suit and tie to a green military shirt sample makes him look like a soldier more willing to defend his country and, therefore, like a figure close to his people.

As has become customary since the war began, the setting for the speech was rather austere, without the typical objects that usually frame the staging of a national leader's speech address. In this speech, the decor consisted of the Ukrainian flag to the right of the president, a desk chair and a white wall in the background. In this context, Zelenski moves his hands moderately up and down, rests them on the table, frowns, stares at the camera and delivers his message naturally but forcefully.

The Ukrainian president's success as an orator has probably been nurtured by his acting past, but Zelenski is much more than that. He is not an actor playing an extremely complex script, but a political leader who, at least for the time being, has given Ukrainians a greater sense of freedom and patriotism.