Jon Stewart praises President Zelensky for ‘courage and tenacity’ amidst Russian invasion of Ukraine

‘My fear for Ukraine is that we’re going to get sucked into this idea of a heroic narrative,’ the comedian said

Jon Stewart has applauded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his leadership efforts during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During Stewart’s appearance on the Morning Joe talk show on Wednesday (2 March), host Joe Scarborough questioned him about Zelensky, who was an actor and comedian prior to being elected in 2019.

“It’s just an extraordinary transformation,” Scarborough said in regard to Zelensky’s career pivot.

“Extraordinary,” Stewart answered. “Look, I’m a comedian. I know comedians. I don’t know that we would be able to rise to the challenge of being in a movie about war.”

He continued: “You see this gentleman’s courage and tenacity and the way that he’s leading his country – it’s incredibly moving.”

“My fear for Ukraine is that we’re going to get sucked into this idea of a heroic narrative while these folks get surrounded in a long-term siege that’s just going to cause so much more death and destruction,” Stewart said.

The former host of The Daily Show, Stewart is also a political commentator and now fronts The Problem with Jon Stewart on Apple TV+, where he discusses global issues and ways to enact change.

The comedian joins others in praising Zelensky, including President Biden, who previously said the Ukrainian leader “inspires the world”.

It has been one week since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a full-scale invasion of its neighbouring country. Follow live updates on the Ukraine-Russia crisis here.