The 6th president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, spoke live via a video link to the European Union Parliament on Tuesday. You could hear explosions in the background. Once again, the embattled Zelensky showed the world that he is a modern-day hero. And he assured them that “This is the price of freedom.”

The dictionary definition of a hero is “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities... a war hero.”

We see heroes on Netflix and Disney all the time. We know the back story of the superheroes of fiction. Masked and costumed creations like Superman, Wonder Woman, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Gamora, Batman, and Spiderman capture our hearts.

There are universes of superheroes. And they are standing up to “evil” all the time. New and more complex warriors appear on our screens, in comics, and in graphic novels every day.

But the hero club can be hard to join. Most of us are “sidekicks”. And none of us have superpowers or magic to help us out of a bad situation.

This man who was once a comedian and now a President, joined the ranks of a modern-day hero when Russia invaded his country. He chose to stay and fight despite the intel that claimed he was on top of Putin’s “kill list.” And now he continues to rally the world as the Russians surround the capital city of Kyiv.

I believe him when he says, “Nobody is going to break us,” he said. “We are strong, we are Ukrainians...”  There is a spirit there that is not just about politics. It truly is about freedom. And it touches us in our souls and spirits. 

Modern-day hero warns EU

Zelensky gave the EU an update of events unfolding on the 6th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

“This morning, two cruise missiles hit Freedom Square. … Dozens were killed. This is the price of freedom,” Zelensky said.

“We are fighting just for our land and for our freedom,” he continued.

On Tuesday morning, in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a missile struck in the middle of Freedom Square. And the large explosion killed or injured at least 20 people, including one child.

 Zelensky said that his people were fighting for their survival.

“Nobody is going to break us,” he said. “We are strong, we are Ukrainians. We have a desire to see our children alive. I think it’s a fair one. Yesterday, 16 children were killed.”

“We are also fighting to be equal members of Europe,” Zelensky emphasized. “The European Union is going to be much stronger with us.”

On Monday Zelensky had asked for immediate EU membership as Russian troops encircled Ukrainian cities. And much of Europe has been rallying to support the now war-torn country.

He was given a standing ovation by hundreds of diplomats at the EU.

 The president of the parliament, Roberta Metsola, told diplomats that she welcomed Ukraine’s application for EU membership and would work toward it.

Ukraine plight creates ripples

100 members from 40 countries of the United Nations walked out of Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s speech at the Human Rights Council on Tuesday. 

Hacktivist group Anonymous reportedly hacked into Russian TV yesterday and told viewers that Putin really was attacking civilians. And Russian soldiers were also dying. 

Putin has threatened nuclear war if anyone interferes with his “special military operation.” But sanctions are having an effect on Russia. Russian billionaire oligarchs are in a truly uncomfortable situation. And the Russian people are protesting, risking long prison terms. 

Truth-be-told, heroes don’t always get a happy ending. And Zelensky faces overwhelming odds. 

I am praying that this modern-day hero can in some way touch Putin’s mad-Russian heart. And maybe there will be some sort of resolution that doesn’t involve a scorched earth devastation of Ukraine.  

His story may be just beginning or about to end. But this modern-day hero is changing the world.