A different Vladimir in The Hague
Two men with the same name couldn't be more distant in terms of character
I could wish that everything which makes a coincidence in the world would be a sign of good prediction, but in regards to the leaders of the parties in dispute in the War in Ukraine, this assumption couldn't be more distant from reality.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vladimir Putin. Volodymyr and Vladimir. For those not familiar with slavic languages, they are the same name except for the Ukrainian and the Russian version of each other. They have the same strong meaning of "ruler of the world", or "ruler of peace", which brings a sense of responsibility that comes with the power committed to them.
It's sad and remarkable to see how things can go in such an antagonistic way for two men with the same name and occupying the same position of leadership in both societies. Our Volodymyr was meant to honor the name chosen by his parents and make history with his confidence and resistance, inspiring his own citizens with a set of values that already places him as the greatest leaders of all history.
The other namesake, unfortunately, denies every element of respect that could be associated with such a meaningful identification. His actions are moved by madness, greed and evil, acting in disregard of the basic laws of civilization and using terror as a tool of war. Their Vladimir has a criminal view of the world by subjecting peaceful countries and peaceful people to insane projects of power that only lead to devastation and brutality everywhere.
There were many more Volodymyrs and Vladimirs along the history of this side of the world. Not all of them raise good memories from us, some of them are also known for their cruelty, but these ones belong to the trash bin of history together with the contemporary Vladimir from Russia. But Volodymyr Zelenskyy is here to save not only Ukraine and the world from the Russian evil. He is also saving the dignity of his own name.
And today our Volodymyr was visiting the International Court of Justice, located in The Hague, Netherlands. While collecting the widest possible applauses and the commitment of our allies at the very same tribunal that issued an arrest warrant for the other Vladimir on war crimes charges, he still managed to draw laughter all over the place by saying:
“We all want to see a different Vladimir in The Hague”