AMERICANS HAVE FINALLY FOUND A POLITICIAN they can admire—Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky. Since Russia invaded his country on February 24, 2022, Zelensky has blanketed the news, a model of patriotism, toughness, humanity, even humor. Whether inspiring his people, mourning the dead, or lecturing the world, Zelensky has seemed made for his moment.

He prepped for his job by playing it on Ukrainian television. From 2015 to 2019 he starred in Servant of the People, a satirical series in which a high school teacher gets elected president after an anti-corruption rant he delivers in class goes viral. In 2019 the entertainer ran for president for real and won.

Americans of all people should not be