What's in a name?

Sure, Volodymyr Zelensky is far more recognizable than Denys Monastyrsky, or even Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Both inside and outside of Ukraine. It is also undeniable that Zelensky's courage in the first days and weeks of the war were vital, even decisive, in rallying the armed forces and the nation — and the rest of the world — to repel the Russian onslaught.

The Ukrainian people have lost too much

Even six months ago, perhaps, we might imagine that the loss of Zelensky could have changed the course of the war, and our collective history.

But not now.

And it's not because the names and personalities don't matter. Quite the opposite: All the names have become far too important. The Ukrainian people have lost too much, have paid too high a price in taking on a bigger, better-armed enemy daily.

Yes, Zelensky's role continues to be critical, and he remains enormously popular. Yes, his premature death would be painful for the nation. But by now, both the war machine and mobilized national war effort have reached maturity. Ukrainians are driven by a love for their nation and hatred of the enemy that extends far beyond any one person.

If Putin was gone ...

But there is a seemingly paradoxical analogy on the other side of this war.

The situation in Russia also seems to be riding on one man: It is Vladimir Putin who decided to go to war, who is uniting the nation behind his false pretext for the invasion and brutal targeting of innocent lives, doubling down with a nationwide mobilization last fall.

And yet, here as well, a change of the leader will not change anything. Even if Putin suddenly died before dinner tonight, this war will be with us for many more meals to come. Russian soldiers will continue shooting at Ukrainian residential houses, not because of love for their homeland, but because a new set of superiors are driven by the same fear and thirst for power as Putin.

Beyond leaders

A nation that grew up fearful of NATO attacks, Western influence, LGBTQ rights, and a post-Christian soulless culture will continue to fight, will be ready for sacrifice.

The propaganda-washed brains of their so-called "deep people," that is, the tens of millions of people living outside of Moscow and St. Petersburg, have long ago formed a picture of their reality, and will not give it up just because some other blue-ish corpse of the leader in the Kremlin casket will replace Lenin.

The conclusion suggests itself: This is not a war between Putin and Zelensky; it is a war between Russia and Ukraine, a war between two tectonic plates of time, where one has moved into the future, and the other is permanently stuck in the past.

Perhaps the only comfort for Ukrainians right now is about the very nature of time, which can only move forward.