Ukraine President Status Update

Can anyone comment on how well he is perceived in Ukraine, and how the people felt about him say 6 months ago? He seems like a solid leader here, I'm curious what the history is.

At the same time, I can't imagine my country's "leader" giving such a brave sounding speech. There must be national pride in being in a country that would take up arms and fight back, I'm embarrassed to think how my country would behave under a similar threat.