Tarot pulls on the energies of Zelenskyy and Putin on their power, flaw and passion in the context of the war. 

Zelenskyy's power is his charismatic and mature leadership (King of Wands) during the invasion, which has mobilized a global response and national unity. He is an authentic leader that speaks from the heart and strives to protect his nation. His background as an actor and comedian gives him an extraordinary capacity for communication and storytelling. He uses social media and tailored video speeches to audiences worldwide, igniting passion and rallying support—a key function of the King of Wands' influence. His now-famous retort, "I need ammunition, not a ride (escape)," is a powerful, concise, and passionate statement of refusal and determination, which immediately went viral and rallied both Ukrainian and international resolve.  

His struggle is the Chariot's flaw: the necessary, yet potentially unsustainable, aggressive drive toward victory that puts immense strain on resources and risks hasty advancement without full logistical support. 

His passion is for the peaceful rebuilding of a secure home for Ukrainians (4 of wands). His fight against Putin is for harmony and peace to return to Ukraine, not for prolonged power (as people like to accuse him of when he has said that he is willing to leave the office when the war ends).

Putin's power is his calculated patience. Temperance signifies balance, moderation, long-term mixing of elements, and patience. He has been in office for 25 years which points to a political power built on corruption and oppressive control. His strength is the appearance of unwavering, measured control; the ability to patiently wait out opponents and to subtly mix truth and propaganda to maintain equilibrium at home and project a stable image abroad. The power is less fiery (than Zelenskyy's King of Wands) and more calculated and enduring.

The flaw is his patience turning into stagnation, exhaustion, doubt, or regret—that the long-term investment has not yielded a satisfactory result (high cost and low yield of his war efforts). Another interpretation of his character flaw is perhaps delusion, he is not eager or satisfied of his achievements although he has done lots, he just doesn’t know when and where to stop his hunger for power at the expense of national prosperity (the barren land behind him is the true bulk of Russia, symbolic of the environmental exploitation of its natural resources for economic growth, and the internal economic and social malaise masked by his longevity in power). 

*Russia changed its poverty‐calculation methodology in 2021, the government simply rewrote how poverty is measured. A statistical trick. On paper, Russia looks richer. In reality, its families are growing poorer.

https://united24media.com/anti-fake/the-ugly-truth-behind-the-traditional-values-russia-sells-11690

The 6 of Wands is the card of public victory and triumph. Unlike Zelenskyy, whose passion is for quiet, communal security (4 of Wands), Putin's ultimate passion is entirely ego-driven and focused on external and global recognition of his power and the glory of his achievement.

The outcome hinted at is a clash between a Charismatic Force (King of Wands) energized by a vision of Homecoming (4 of Wands) versus a Patient System (Temperance) suffering from Diminishing Returns (7 of Pentacles), whose primary motivation is for admiration of its global power and achievements (6 of wands). This contrast implies that the party with the clearer, more inspiring future vision (Zelenskyy/Ukraine) is likely to maintain the greater moral and international leverage, provided they can manage the Chariot's risk of over-extension.

My husband commented how the horse-rider in the 6 of wands comically reminds him of this meme of Putin horseback riding shirtless. He also said that Putin’s facial expression really resembles the face of the angel in the Temperance card, he has the same calm, almost apathetic look and well-rested demeanor

Pull on Zelenskyy and Putin