KYIV, Ukraine — President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to begin a flurry of foreign trips amid final preparations for a Ukrainian counteroffensive was met with support from some residents of the capital, Kyiv, on Friday, some just hours after it was attacked for the 10th time this month.
The president’s recent trip – he visited four European capitals over the weekend and Saudi Arabia on Friday, and will attend a Group of 7 meeting in Japan this weekend – differs from much of the first year of the war, when the choice Mr. Zelensky’s stay in Ukraine has become a symbol of defiance and unity.
Today, residents interviewed on the streets of Kyiv said they were heartened by the warm welcome Mr. Zelensky is receiving abroad at a time when continued support from allies is critical.
“I think it’s amazing, because he’s building bridges between all countries,” said Neonila, a 76-year-old retired sanitation worker, who like many interviewed for this article asked that only his first name be used for fear of reprisal.
At each stop on his diplomatic tour, Mr. Zelensky worked hard to drum up support and ask for more weapons to fight Russian aggression. His whirlwind trip to Germany, France and Britain over the weekend raked in billions of dollars in new military aid.
“His every visit ends positively,” Neonila said as she bought vegetables at a stall in the city center. “We gave something.”
While few people interviewed in Kyiv seemed opposed to the trip, some questioned Mr. Zelensky’s motives.
The trips are good for the president’s “ratings,” said Liudmyla, 75, as she sat on a bench in a Kyiv park in the sun with a friend.
“He is building an image for himself, for future elections,” he said.
Kateryna Papusha, sitting next to her daughter’s stroller in the park, said she supported the trip because some foreign leaders were unable or afraid to visit Ukraine.
“I support his visits abroad, because each visit is very productive,” he said. “There are some agreements, some support, some help for Ukraine.”
Being close to someone involved in the conflict made him aware of the announcements of new weapons pledges, Ms. Pusha.
Most Ukrainian men have been banned from leaving the country since the war began, and the toll of nearly 15 months of fighting has been felt across the country. Volodymyr Pylypenko, 45, who was wounded in fighting in eastern Ukraine, said on Friday that he could not track Mr. Zelensky.
“I’m more concerned about the situation in front of us,” he said, smoking a cigarette as he stood outside a hospital.
But that doesn’t mean he thinks a wartime president should stay, he said. Because a general heads the armed forces, he said, Mr. Zelensky can handle foreign politics.
“If he does something good for Ukraine, it’s just a plus,” Mr. Pylypenko said.
Valentyna Horbachiova, 65, expressed a sense of urgency, saying that traveling abroad is “very necessary now” – especially given the recent attacks in Kyiv.
“If he continues to travel and talk to people at the top, maybe peace will be established here, maybe we will be supported,” he said while waiting to pick up his grandchildren from school.
For Mr. Zelensky to stay in the capital because of unity nothing can be done, said Ms. Horbachiova, who described the “terrible” attack she witnessed from her 18th-floor apartment.
“What can change if he sits here? Aren’t we going to talk?” he asked. “We can be nervous too – maybe even more so if they know he’s here.”
