For a long time, Volodymyr Zelensky dragged the image of a former TV comedian elected president of Ukraine almost by chance. But now he is leading a country under attack, after Russia invaded his neighbor on Thursday.
Zelensky, 44, is presiding over Ukraine at the time of the most serious confrontation between the Kremlin and Western powers since the end of the Cold War, more than three decades ago.
He first saw Russia surround his country with more than 150,000 troops, despite calls from Washington and other countries for them to withdraw.
then saw how Russia recognized the independence of two rebel republics in eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Lugansk.
And finally, Thursday saw Russia launch a full-scale attack, with explosions heard across the country in the early morning hours after the Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed a “military operation”.
Zelensky quickly applied martial law and appealed to his Western allies, calling for European unity after speaking with US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Later, he announced that Ukraine broke relations with Russia.
“He hasn’t done too badly”
In 2019, Zelensky ran his presidential run as a joke. He rose to fame playing a rude professor who became president after a student of his recorded and posted his profane tirade against corruption online.
The afternoon comedy became a smash hit in a country caught up in cataclysmic change. The pro-Western revolution of 2014 ousted the Kremlin-backed leader and brought in new leaders who had to deal with a growing conflict in the east and a collapsing economy.
Ukrainians watched the comedy chairman throw crude jokes at his wife or pedal to work with a frightened, panicked face. The character caught the excitement of the moment and offered Zelensky a small fortune.
Later he would defeat the outgoing president Petro Poroshenko, sunk by different crises, with more than 70% of the votes.
Zelensky: From a TV series to the presidency of Ukraine
Some citizens were preparing for the worst. Critics compared him to other celebrities who entered politics such as the Italian Silvio Berlusconi or the American Donald Trump.
His early decision to include members of his television production company in his team did not help build confidence either.
Zelensky’s first appearances with other world leaders seemed forced, unnatural.
“I think our international partners had trouble dealing with it. It is not at their level,” said Ukrainian political analyst Mykola Davydyuk.
“They move at very high levels that he cannot reach, he cannot understand,” he added.
Russia and Ukraine: Putin’s “threatening” speech in which he questioned the sovereignty of the neighboring country
But some Western diplomats seem to have succumbed to his charm. “He hasn’t done too badly, to be honest,” said one of them.
“He has an impossible job. He is trapped, under pressure from the Russians and the Americans (…) he has shown composure, ”indicated this source.
Lawyer by profession, actor by decision, president by accident
Zelenski, whom many consider to be of Jewish origin, was born in the east of the country, specifically in the province of Dnepropetrovsk, now Dnipro, on January 25, 1978.
He studied law at the Kiev National Economic University, but never practiced law, as he opted for the field of acting and entertainment, from which he would soon become a television star.
In March 2018, he founded his political party “Servant of the People”, a name that had previously given the title to a TV series starring him, and in December of that year he announced his candidacy for the presidency of Ukraine.
The On May 20, 2019, Zelensky was sworn in as president after winning the nationalist Petró Poroshenko with 73.22 percent of the vote in the previous April election.. At that time, his first announcement was the dissolution of the Rada – the National Assembly – and called early legislative elections for July of that year, which his party also won.
defining moment
The conflict with Russia over the Ukrainian desire to join NATO – an aspiration written in its Constitution but very unlikely in the coming decades – may define Zelensky’s presidency for years to come.
He came to power trying to open lines of communication with Vladimir Putin in order to resolve the bloody separatist conflict in Donbas that has cost 14,000 lives.
The two held a summit in Paris months after Zelensky’s election that the Russian leader described as an “important step.”
But Zelenski had a different script in his later appearance. “My interlocutors have said that it is a very good result for a first meeting. But I’ll be honest, it’s been very little,” he said.
Relations between the two have deteriorated ever since.
Putin accused the Zelensky government of “discriminating” against Russian-speakers and reneging on past promises to resolve the conflict in the country’s east. (I)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
