[56][57] He did not release a detailed policy platform[58] and his engagement with mainstream media was minimal;[56][d] he instead reached out to the electorate via social media channels and YouTube clips. The original photo was taken during a rehearsal for a military parade in Kyiv. [11] After the start of the invasion, Zelenskyy declared martial law across Ukraine and a general mobilisation of the armed forces. 1 target', "Ukraine's capital under threat as Russia presses invasion", "Volodymyr Zelenskiy stands defiant in face of Russian attack", "93 Percent of Ukrainians Believe Russia Will Be Defeated: Poll", "Majority of Ukrainians believe they will win against Russia - poll", "Americans have more confidence in Zelenskyy than Biden when it comes to world affairs", "Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From comedian to national hero", "Actor-turned-president Zelensky grows on stage as Ukraine's war-time leader", "Zelenskyy's unlikely journey, from comedy to wartime leader", "For many Jews, Volodymyr Zelensky is a 'modern Maccabee' as he fights Ukraine's war", "Ukraine leader Zelenskyy's wild ride: Jewish comedian to national hero", "Ukraine president suddenly thrust into hero role, mirrors one of the darkest chapters of the Cold War", "Zelensky emerges as global hero in Ukraine battle against Russia", "Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Standing Tall in the Face of Danger", "Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky: The comedian president who is rising to the moment", "Volodymyr Zelensky survives three assassination attempts in days", "Zelensky says 'we will not forgive' after Russians kill fleeing civilians", "Czech president to award state honour to Ukraine's president", "Ukraine's Zelenskiy Says Open to 'Compromise' with Russia on Crimea, Separatist Territories", "Zelensky Calls on Putin for Face-to-Face Talks, Says 'I Don't Bite', "Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine ready to discuss neutrality in peace talks with Russia", "Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms Kremlin", "Israel's Bennett plays peacemaker in Ukraine-Russia war", "Analysis: Two weeks into Ukraine war, analysts detect faint glimmers of compromise emerge", "Alternative to NATO proposed by Zelensky's party", "Why has Russia invaded Ukraine and what does Putin want? Regular people. [136][137] Soon, rumors began that Zelenskyy may have had some additional meetings beside the ones that were announced. [274], Zelenskyy opposed targeting the Russian language in Ukraine and banning artists for their political opinions (such as those viewed by the Government as anti-Ukrainian). For the surname, see, First phase: Invasion of Ukraine (24 February 7 April), Second phase: South-Eastern front (8 April 5 September), Third phase: Counteroffensives and annexations (6 September present), Zelenskyy's name lacks an established Latin-alphabet spelling, and it has been romanized in various ways: for example. Andriy Biletsky, the leader of the far-right National Corps and first commander of Azov, accused Zelenskyy of being disrespectful to army veterans and of acting on behalf of the Kremlin by leaving Ukrainians vulnerable to Russian aggression. [177][178][179], More than 90% of Ukrainians supported the actions of Zelenskyy,[180] including more than 90% in western and central Ukraine and more than 80% in Russian-speaking regions in eastern and southern Ukraine. 11:58 A.M. (Local) THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. [21] In his inaugural address, Zelenskyy dissolved the then Ukrainian parliament and called for early parliamentary elections (which had originally been due to be held in October of that year). [83] Various foreign officials attended the ceremony in Ukraine's parliament (Verkhovna Rada), including Salome Zourabichvili (Georgia), Kersti Kaljulaid (Estonia), Raimonds Vjonis (Latvia), Dalia Grybauskait (Lithuania), Jnos der (Hungary), Maro efovi (European Union), and Rick Perry (United States). [264] Regarding the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, Zelenskyy said that, speaking realistically, it would be possible to return Crimea to Ukrainian control only after a regime change in Russia. [107] Bohdan, however, contended that because heading the presidential administration is not considered civil service work, lustration did not apply to him. From 21 January until 18 April 2019 Zelenskyy did not give interviews. [229] In early June 2022, Zelenskyy's adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat every day. whitehouse.gov. [105], Zelenskyy appointed Andriy Bohdan as head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. May 1, 2022 at 10:04 a.m. EDT. As president, Zelenskyy has been a proponent of e-government and of unity between the Ukrainian and Russian speaking parts of the country's population. We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war We will find every scum who was shelling our cities, our people, who was shooting the missiles, who was giving orders. Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen "agreed on the importance of giving Ukraine the military momentum they need to secure victory against tyranny," according to a . In the absence of the prime minister of Ukraine, the first vice prime minister performs his or her duties [a] as the acting prime minister. President Charles Michel, EU-Ukraine summit, 3 February 2023. People. Do Russians want war? United States government official. What a great honor for me to be able to represent my country before such an august audience. Men, women, the elderly, children, fathers, and most importantly, mothers. He disputed claims of the Russian government about the presence of neo-Nazis in the Ukrainian government and stated that he had no intention of attacking the Donbas region, while highlighting his personal connections to the area. [102] Fixing the referendum law had been one of Zelenskyy's campaign promises. But no . People. [128] The agreement failed to ease the conflict, as the separatists continued their attacks and Russia continued providing them with weapons and ammunition. A political party bearing the same name as the television show was created in March 2018 by employees of Kvartal 95. While Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister of Ukraine, would likely be considered the next most senior official, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the. Despite this, Zelenskyy highlighted that the day would "honor heroes" on Independence Day, however the "format will be new". Who does not want this more than anyone? Honchurak was replaced as prime minister Denys Shmyhal. [175] In an early morning address that day, Zelenskyy said that his intelligence services had identified him as Russia's top target, but that he is staying in Kyiv and his family will remain in the country. Critics of Zelenskyy's administration have claimed that, in taking power away from the Ukrainian oligarchs, he has sought to centralize authority and strengthen his personal position. [202] The video is considered to be the first use of deepfake technology in a global-scale disinformation attack. [192], Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for direct talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin,[193] saying: "Good Lord, what do you want? . In 2015, Zelenskyy became the star of the television series Servant of the People, where he played the role of the president of Ukraine. January 25, 1978 - Born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. Russian missiles struck a number of military targets in Ukraine, and Zelenskyy declared martial law. Its Jewish president lost family in the Holocaust", "Zelensky offers insight into family history, igniting debate over Ukrainian Holocaust memory", "3 years ago Zelenskyy was a TV comedian. [196] On 8 March, Zelenskyy expressed willingness to discuss Putin's demands. Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., was born November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the first of four siblings. [268] In the interview he also said that if he were elected president he would not sign a law on amnesty for the militants of the DPR and LPR. [235] In August 2022, he said China had the economic leverage to pressure Putin to end the war, adding "Im sure that without the Chinese market for the Russian Federation, Russia would be feeling complete economic isolation. Kyiv, Ukraine. A Ukrainian lawmaker who met with Rudolph W. Giuliani late last year released recordings of private phone calls several years ago between Vice President Joe Biden and Petro Poroshenko, then . Feb 22. [39] Since 2015, Ukraine has banned Russian artists and other Russian works of culture from entering Ukraine. [110] Zelenskyy's requests to replace the foreign minister, defence minister, chief prosecutor and head of Ukraine's security service were rejected by parliament. [104] [138] On 14 January 2020, Andriy Yermak dismissed the rumors as speculations and baseless conspiracy theories,[139] while Medvedchuk stated that the plane was used by his older daughter's family to fly from Oman to Moscow. [252][253] Zelenskyy's close advisor Ivan Bakanov also said that Zelenskyy's policy is supportive of membership of both the EU and NATO, and proposes holding referendums on membership. [40] In 2018, the romantic comedy Love in the Big City 2 starring Zelenskyy was banned in Ukraine.[why? [130][131] Ultimately, the peace deal failed to reduce the violence, much less end the war. Who can prevent this? [249] Zelenskyy's election manifesto mentioned tariffs only oncethat money raised from a capital amnesty would go towards "lowering the tariff burden on low-income citizens". We don't have any firearms. WASHINGTON Two Russian billionaires who have managed to dodge US sanctions over Moscow's year-old invasion of Ukraine went property shopping with Hunter Biden, dined with then-Vice . Donald Trump. [200], On 15 March 2022, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, together with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jana, visited Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy in a display of support for Ukraine. It's a great, pleasure to be once more here in Kyiv to reaffirm the depth of the partnership between our two peoples. [238], On 20 June 2022, Zelenskyy addressed African Union (AU) representatives via videoconference. [38], Zelenskyy was a member of the board and the general producer of the TV channel Inter from 2010 to 2012. Ambassador William B. Taylor is vice president, Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace. The EU will be with you and your people tomorrow and for as long as it takes. "They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state", he said. Fox News host Tucker Carlson admitted on Thursday that he was wrong about the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine but blamed the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris for his . 95 , the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine's protracted conflict with Russia, an ongoing full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Kryvyi Rih State University of Economics and Technology, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, List of international presidential trips made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, annexing four regions of Ukrainian territory, representative of the president of Ukraine, Ukraine can apply for European Union membership, Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, Honorary Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, [olodmr oleksndrowd zelnskj], [vldimr lksandrvd zlenskj], "Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: Spelling Confusion Doesn't Help Ukraine", "Dear colleagues, this is the official form of the last name that the President has in his passport. The first appears when there are video cameras, the other Petro sends Medvedchuk privietiki (greetings) to Moscow". [166][167], On 19 February, as worries of a Russian invasion of Ukraine grew, Zelenskyy warned the Munich Security Conference that Western nations should abandon their "appeasement" attitude toward Moscow. [284] The couple's first daughter, Oleksandra, was born in July 2004. Now he's standing up to Putin's army", ": , , , , ", " ()", "How funny is the comedian who may be Ukraine's next president? [262], In a 2014 interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that he would have liked to pay a visit to Crimea, but would avoid it because "armed people are there". [49] Around the time of his 2019 election, Zelenskyy handed his shares in a key offshore company over to Sergei Shefir, but the two men appear to have made an arrangement for Zelenskyy's family to continue receiving the money from these companies. [289], On 27 March 2022, Slovakia awarded Zelenskyy one of the country's top awards, the State Award of Alexander Dubek. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine on April 21, 2019. [155] While Zelenskyy was still in the U.S., just after delivering a speech at the United Nations, an assassination attempt was made in Ukraine on Serhiy Shefir, his closest aide. More From Britannica [129] Several Ukrainian nationalist militias and former militias also refused to accept the agreement, including the far-right Azov fighters in the Luhansk region of Donbas. Just like people in Ukraine. [91] This initiative was completed on 3 September, when the new parliament passed a bill stripping lawmakers of legal immunity, delivering Zelenskyy a legislative victory by fulfilling one of his key campaign promises. [224] Zelenskyy has also supported consolidating all TV news stations into a single 24-hour news broadcast run by the state of Ukraine. 1 min ago. The speech was widely described as "emotional" and "astonishing". [263] In August 2014, Zelenskyy performed for Ukrainian troops in Mariupol and later his studio donated 1 million to the Ukrainian army. [201] On 16 March 2022, a deepfake appeared online of Zelenskyy calling on Ukrainian citizens to surrender to Russia. But not from 30 meters away, like with Macron and Scholz. CPAC Straw Poll: Trump Wins in Blow Out - Donald Trump dominated the 2023 CPAC Straw Poll. [19] Zelenskyy also played the leading role in the 2012 film 8 First Dates and in sequels which were produced in 2015 and 2016.
