Photo: Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via APComedian, actor and sixth president of independent Ukraine. It strives for close ties with the EU and NATO. He blames the West for not doing enough to protect Ukraine. He says that he is the "main target of Russian aggression" which aims to "demilitarize" and "denazify" Ukraine. As for the latter, Zelensky is a Jew
Volodymyr Zelensky was born on January 25, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, southeast of Kyiv. He grew up in a Jewish family, and because of his father Oleksadr's engineering job, he spent some time in Mongolia. He graduated from law school in his hometown, but never practiced law. He built his career in the entertainment industry.
Before entering politics, Zelensky was known to the Ukrainian public as an actor and comedian. Even as a student, he participated in comedy competitions, and in the 1990s he founded the troupe "Kvartal 95", with which he won a TV show in 2003, which quickly won over the Ukrainian audience. He was the host of many entertainment shows, such as "Dancing with the Stars". In 2010, Zelenski was the author of the popular show "Laugh at the Comedian", and then "Hot Chairs". A successful television career also brought him several film roles.
After playing the role of the President of Ukraine in a comedy, he entered politics in 2018 and founded the political party "Servant of the People". Already the following year, he was a candidate in the presidential elections. Immediately after announcing his candidacy, he was the favorite.
During the campaign, he toured the country with his comedy show, which deviated from the traditional forms of political campaigns. His main channel of communication with citizens was his social networks, which is why he received the nickname "virtual candidate" from his opponent in the campaign, the then president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko.
In those elections, Zelensky won with more than 70 percent of the votes and became the sixth president of independent Ukraine. "I promise I will never let you down." I'm not officially the president yet, but - as a Ukrainian citizen, I can tell all the countries created from the Soviet Union to look at us. Everything is possible," said Zelenski before the announcement of the 2019 results.
Although he acted as a pro-Western politician who announced during the campaign that he would strive for close ties with the European Union and NATO, among his goals was the reintegration of Russian rebels in the eastern regions of Ukraine. He often spoke directly to Ukrainians whose mother tongue is Russian. It was a compromise solution, acceptable to the Russians from the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. That soon backfired.
He blamed the "old elite and "systemic politicians" for the bad state of affairs in Ukraine, a country with large differences between the rich and the poor. As Deutsche Welle wrote earlier, it soon became clear that a "new elite" was formed instead of the old one, which was made up of the president's friends.
Part of the public also criticized him for the fact that ministers and governors change "like on tape", and in addition, some officials who were presented by Zelenski and his party as "reformers" were also replaced. During the coronavirus pandemic, he replaced the Minister of Health twice. The ruling majority was shaken after a part of the deputies from his party refused to adopt the law on banks that was "pushed" by the president, and which was requested by the International Monetary Fund.
The US State Department, as well as Zelensky himself, claim that he is "the main target of Russian aggression". "We have information that the enemy's main target is me, followed by my family." I stay in the capital with my people," said Zelenski. He says that Russia attacked Ukraine "in a cunning way like Nazi Germany during World War II."
Denying the misinformation that he fled from Kiev, Zelensky on Friday sent dramatic messages through social networks from the streets of the capital, where explosions are echoing and which expects the penetration of Russian troops. He sharply criticized the European leaders for implementing "neffective actions to slow the Russian advance". "I'm sure you can see this, all of you, all of Europe." But I don't really see what you're going to do about it. How will you defend yourself when you are so slow to help Ukraine".
Zelensky also addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin, inviting him to enter into negotiations with the Ukrainian government on a ceasefire and Ukraine's neutrality.
He declared martial law and general mobilization in the country and called on all war-capable Ukrainians to take up arms and defend their villages and towns. Zelensky called on the residents of Kyiv to attack the enemy from all sides and to prepare for street battles if the unthinkable happens - that Russian troops penetrate into the city center.
Although he won the presidential election convincingly, Zelensky remained an outsider in the country's political system. It seemed that he had no control over the institutions. And now one gets the impression that there is no unified Ukrainian defense command and that Zelensky is largely cut off.
The professional actor and comedian found himself at the head of the state in the most tragic moment for Ukraine since the Second World War. He tries to motivate his compatriots with his personal courage.
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