ROBIN HORSFALL

Mar 02, 2025

The ICE man of Ukraine.

Hold him up.

I want to wrap my arms around this man and hold him up. I have watched him age quickly as years of war have drained his energy. The brightness of his smile has faded, replaced by a wry grin. A shortened life is the price one pays for true leadership. Never to sleep a full night, never to sit in a roadside café and pass the day. Always responsible for millions, every word and decision a test. A test of stamina and a test of character. For three years he has not failed those tests. He has led Ukraine with integrity, courage, and example (ICE). He is the ICE man of Ukraine. Take this man as your example and hold him up!

The Nazis murdered his grandparents, his nation was occupied by the Soviets who starved his people. He comes from a people who know adversity and know evil. They know the price of freedom and they know the price of failure.

I’ve known few heroes. The word is often misused. I am loathe to revere another human being but when I see this face I want to do more. I want to reach into my pocket to contribute or catch a train to London to cheer him. I want to stand in his shadow so that one day I can say I met him, saw him, or helped him. I made a speech about him in Tallin two years ago and he sent me a ‘Thank you.’ I treasure those words.

When I see this good man, (remember he is just a man), abused, shouted down and insulted, the bile rises in my throat; I am so angry I need to spit. I want to be there in that room and shout back on his behalf. ‘How dare you!’ ‘You little people with your suits and neckties are not fit to tie his shoelaces.’

You demand thanks from someone who has achieved what you will never achieve. A place of respect in the history of the world that will last long after your infamy is buried in shame and forgotten.

Slava Volodymir Zelensky.
Slava Ukraini!

Robin Horsfall. Who Dares Shares.