As recently as February 21, the chief editor of the Kyiv Independent was suggesting that Zelensky, a former comedian and actor, was "in over his head." Writing in the New York Times, Olga Rudenko explained how a once-inspiring candidate had become a "dispiritingly mediocre" president.
"After his nearly three years in office, it's clear what the problem is," she wrote. "Mr. Zelensky's tendency to treat everything like a show."