it. he is now an international hero, a living symbol of standing firm against overwhelming odds. >> reporter: in an exclusive interview with cnn's matthew chance, zelenskyy played down the personal risks and hardships he's enduring? >> i'm the president of ukraine. i'm not iconic. ukraine is iconic. and i always was sure and i knew it that ukraine is special country. ukraine is the heart of europe. >> reporter: zelenskyy has met his foe. he sat across president putin in late 2019, clearly the junior, less experienced statesman. now putin's forces are coming for him. this moment, he's revealing zelenskyy's character as he rallies his people and the world to resist russia's assault and