When Russia’s tanks rolled across the border on the night of February 23-24,2022,President Volodymyr Zelensky’s brave defiance inspired the world. He was frequently – and not implausibly – compared to Winston Churchill. The President of the European Council,Charles Michel,captured the mood of the democratic world when,channelling John F. Kennedy’s speech at the Berlin Wall in June 1963 (“Ich bin ein Berliner”),he told the Parliament in Kyiv “Today we are all Ukrainian” – a phrase that emblazoned banners and T-shirts across Europe.
That was two years and two months ago. With the passage of time,the outrage has dissipated. The world’s attention has shifted to other issues,the Israel-Hamas war in particular. The public has become bored with the seemingly endless stalemate.