In a matter of weeks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become a beacon to the world, a wartime leader rallying his country, a symbol of courage in the face of personal danger, a politician who has shown anew the power of words and language.

He was once a comedian who played a president on television, who then ran for office and became a president, who early in his tenure was subjected to attempted political extortion by then-President Donald Trump. Americans might have heard of him then but few others in the world knew his name. Now the 44-year-old Zelensky is instantly recognized, leading a sovereign country attacked without provocation.