[89][90] In June 2019 it was announced that the president's third major initiative, which seeks to remove immunity from lawmakers, diplomats and judges, would be submitted after the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election. According to Zelenskyy, since the beginning of the invasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping had refused to speak with him. [130][131] Ultimately, the peace deal failed to reduce the violence, much less end the war. The president of Ukraine (Ukrainian: , romanized: Prezydent Ukrainy) is the head of state of Ukraine.The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties.The president is directly elected by the citizens of Ukraine for a five-year term . [192], Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for direct talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin,[193] saying: "Good Lord, what do you want? [232] However, he later said he did not believe that all the land seized by Russia since 2014, which includes Crimea, could be recaptured by force, saying that "If we decide to go that way, we will lose hundreds of thousands of people. Upon the proclamation of Ukrainian independence from the Soviet Union on 24 August 1991, the title was changed to the "President of Ukraine." The first election of the President of Ukraine, which was held on 1 December 1991, was won by Leonid Kravchuk . [19] Love in the Big City 3 was released in January 2014. He said this on the air of the American TV channel Fox News. ", "How Ukraine's Presidential Race Is Shaping Up", "Comedian faces scrutiny over oligarch ties in Ukraine presidential race", "Volodymyr Zelensky: April 1 an awesome day for a clown to win", "Ukraine media demands access to runoff frontrunner Zelensky", "The World Just Witnessed the First Entirely Virtual Presidential Campaign", "Ukraine election: Why comic Zelenskiy is real threat to Poroshenko", "Crowdsourcer In Chief: Ukrainian Funnyman Takes Unorthodox Path To Top Of Presidential Pack", "Zelensky: Party "Servant of the people" goes into politics", " " " ", "Ukraine elections: actor and comedian poised to win crushing victory", "Ukraine election: Poroshenko attacks Zelensky before runoff", "Rivals in Ukraine's presidential runoff hold bitter debate at sports stadium", "How the Ukraine Scandal Looks in Ukraine", " vs : ", " : , ", " : "", " , ", " ", "Central Election Commission of Ukraine Ukrainian Presidential Election 2019 (first round)", "Ukraine election: Comedian Zelensky wins presidency by landslide", "Election of President of Ukraine 2019 Repeat voting", " ", " ", "Ukraine vaults into unknown after comic elected president", "Joint letter of President Tusk and President Juncker to Volodymyr Zelensky, President-elect of Ukraine Consilium", "Ukraine's New President Vows To Dissolve Parliament As PM, Other Key Officials Resign", "Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised international partners that the world would be proud of Ukraine", "New Ukraine President Zelensky calls snap election", "Zelensky may dissolve parliament despite People's Front withdrawal from coalition expert", "Georgia's Saakashvili has Ukrainian citizenship restored", "UAWire Ukrainian parliament rejects Zelensky's proposal to change election system", " , ", "Quick win for Zelenskiy as Ukraine parliament strips lawmakers' immunity", "Zelensky cancels Independence Day parade on August 24 citing costs", "Zelensky cancels Independence Day military parade, gives money to soldiers | KyivPost Ukraine's Global Voice", "No Independence Day parade to be held this year, Zelensky says", "Bonuses instead of parade: Ukraine's leader takes surprising decision", "Voice of America: Journalists see censorship in Ukraine's proposed media laws", "Journalists See Specter of Censorship in Ukraine's Proposed Media Law", " " ", " . Prior to his acting career, he obtained a degree in law from the Kyiv National Economic University. [86], On 28 May, Zelenskyy restored the Ukrainian citizenship of Mikheil Saakashvili. [58] He said he wished to restore trust in politicians, "to bring professional, decent people to power" and to "change the mood and timbre of the political establishment". [255] The program states that Ukraine should set the goal to apply for a NATO Membership Action Plan in 2024. [203], Zelenskyy has made an effort to rally the governments of Western nations in an effort to isolate Russia. ( )", "Zelensky's childhood friend appointed SBU's first deputy chief (Document)", " ", " . 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 . He added that Putin "wants to scare the whole world" with nuclear blackmail. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presents the Order of Princess Olga, a Ukrainian civil decoration, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a . More From Britannica 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 . [54] His announcement up-staged the New Year's Eve address of incumbent president Petro Poroshenko on the same channel,[54] which Zelenskyy said was unintentional and attributed to a technical glitch. White nationalist livestreamer Nicholas Fuentes has made no secret of where his loyalties lie in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. . With inputs from agencies. [50][51][62] On 16 April 2019, a few days before the election, 20 Ukrainian news outlets called on Zelenskyy to "stop avoiding journalists". The Vice President has departed for Kyiv, Ukraine, where he will meet with President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian reformers from both government and civil society, and deliver a speech to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. [105], Zelenskyy appointed Andriy Bohdan as head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. [19] The family lives in Kyiv. [270], Zelenskyy opposes the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany, calling it "a dangerous weapon, not only for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe. [34], In August 2014, Zelenskyy spoke out against the intention of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to ban Russian artists from Ukraine. 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. President Trump and his allies have been trying to get Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden for his role in what Rudy Giuliani called a "massive bribery scheme.". I don't bite. [124] Zelenskyy defended his negotiations, saying the elections would not be held before a Russian withdrawal. This has been going on a long time. Nevertheless he was criticised for a lack of transparency and critics pointed out he had once criticized his predecessor Poroshenko for taking an undisclosed vacation in the Maldives. Mr. Fedorov, 31, the youngest member of. Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy[a] (also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy;[b] born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former comedian and actor who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. Prior to the elections, Zelenskyy presented a team that included former finance minister Oleksandr Danylyuk and others. [19] He recorded the voice of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian dubbing of Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017). [199] However, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was considering giving the Russian language protected minority status. Russian missiles struck a number of military targets in Ukraine, and Zelenskyy declared martial law. The cabinet is a collegiate body consisting of the cabinet's "presidium" composed of the Prime Minister of Ukraine and their vice prime ministers as well as other ministers who participate and vote on sessions of the cabinet. "The vice president's visit is meant to send a signal of reassurance and unity on the part of the United States to these Eastern NATO allies," said Olga Oliker, the Brussels-based Europe and . First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine is a government post of the Cabinet of Ukraine. [34] Zelenskyy helped fund a volunteer battalion fighting on Donbas. [161], On 19 January 2022, Zelenskyy said in a video message that the country's citizens should not panic and appealed to the media to be "methods of mass information and not mass hysteria. The speech was widely described as "emotional" and "astonishing". Their son, Kyrylo, was born in January 2013. [144], Zelenskyy's first official trip abroad as president was to Brussels in June 2019, where he met with European Union and NATO officials. Here's how that would work", "8 EU countries support Ukraine's call to fast-track membership talks", "Exclusive: Ukraine's Zelensky says he doesn't feel China threat", "Ukraine election rivals trade taunts and media tricks", "Front-runner in Ukraine's election race names condition for returning Crimea", "Ukraine's New President Zelensky Hints At Peace With Russia", Zelensky about the war in the Donbas: Though we are ready to agree with the devil, Vladimir Zelensky: It is beneficial for us to dissolve the Rada, but we will think and act according to the law, "Ukraine poll leader Volodymyr Zelensky sees Putin as an enemy", "Zelensky: Border only "common" thing between Ukraine, Russia", "Ukraine insists Nord Stream 2 is 'dangerous' despite German reassurances", "Zelensky says Ukraine will fight until it regains all its territories after Kissinger remark", Comfortable topics for candidates: how they understand reforms, " , ", " Sevas.Com", Zelensky suggested, that he might not get to shake Poroshenko's hand, "Zelensky says Ukraine's government may allow civil partnerships for same-sex couples", "Zelensky floats civil unions amid gay marriage push in Ukraine", "Ukraine president backs civil partnerships for same-sex couples", "Zelensky Proposes Barring Orthodox Church That Answers to Moscow", "Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's shy first lady, steps up", "Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska on being Russia's target No 2: 'When you see their crimes, maybe they really are capable of anything', " : , ", " : 2018 6 ", "Slovakia Awards Zelenskiy Dubcek Prize For 'Freedom and Hope', " - ", "France's Macron awards Legion of Honour to Ukraine's Zelenskiy", " ", "Zeenski z najwyszym litewskim odznaczeniem. Do Russians want war? [268], In response to suggestions to the contrary, he stated in April 2019 that he regarded Russian president Vladimir Putin "as an enemy". Two of those attempts were carried out by the Wagner Group, a Russian paramilitary force, and the third by the Kadyrovites, the personal guard of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. These companies included some that owned expensive London property. [102] Fixing the referendum law had been one of Zelenskyy's campaign promises. The headline on the March 10 article reads, "Vice President Kamala Harris laughs at the plight of Ukraine; at idea of America offering assistance." It was published on The Raging Patriot blog . [40] In 2018, the romantic comedy Love in the Big City 2 starring Zelenskyy was banned in Ukraine.[why? [70][71][72] In his introductory speech, Zelenskyy acknowledged that in 2014 he voted for Poroshenko, but "I was mistaken. [39] Since 2015, Ukraine has banned Russian artists and other Russian works of culture from entering Ukraine. [104] [280], On 2 December 2022, Zelenskyy entered a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that would officially ban all activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) UOC in Ukraine. [70] Although Zelenskyy initially said he would only serve a single term, he walked back this promise in May 2021, saying he had not yet made up his mind. On 7 March 2022, Czech president Milo Zeman decided to award Zelenskyy with the highest state award of the Czech Republic, the Order of the White Lion, for "his bravery and courage in the face of Russia's invasion". [74] According to Zelenskyy, if people would notice that his new government "works honestly from the first day", they would start paying their taxes. [174] On 25 February, Zelenskyy said that despite Russia's claim that it was targeting only military sites, civilian sites were also being hit. Joe Biden's presidential administration has formally concluded that Russia has committed crimes against humanity during its nearly year-long invasion of Ukraine, US vice-president Kamala Harris . In January 2021, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Axios that he does not perceive China as a geopolitical threat and that he does not agree with the United States assertions that it represents one. [240], Speaking about the 2022 Russian mobilization, Zelenskyy called on Russians to not submit to "criminal mobilization", saying: "Russian commanders do not care about the lives of Russians they just need to replenish the empty spaces left" by killed and wounded Russian soldiers. [281], In September 2003, Zelenskyy married Olena Kiyashko, with whom he had attended school and university. The group operates eight Ukrainian TV channels and broadcast the Servant of the People TV series from 2015 until 2019, featuring Zelenskyy in a comedian role as a national president. Requirements to Hold Office According to Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the president must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, be at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for 14 years. [135] The same day, internet news site Obozrevatel.com released information that on 7 January 2020, Ukrainian politician of the Opposition Platform For Life Viktor Medvedchuk who has exclusive relations with the current president of Russia may have arrived in Oman. [99][100], In January 2021, parliament passed a bill updating and reforming Ukraine's referendum laws,[101] which Ukraine's Constitutional Court had declared unconstitutional in 2018. Zelenskyy turned down both offers and opted to remain in Kyiv with its defense forces, saying that "the fight is here [in Kyiv]; I need ammunition, not a ride". U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will meet with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and French President Emmanuel Macron during the Munich Security Conference . He then pursued a career in comedy and created the production company Kvartal 95, which produced films, cartoons, and TV shows including the TV series Servant of the People, in which Zelenskyy played the role of the Ukrainian president. [246][247] He met with President Joe Biden and addressed Congress delivering his full speech in English. [285][286][287][288] His assets were worth about 37 million (about US$1.5 million) in 2018. [56] Zelenskyy stated that he was not hiding from journalists but that he did not want to go to talk shows where "people of the old power" were "just doing PR" and that he did not have time to satisfy all interview requests.[63]. Topline: President Trump and his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, repeatedly claimed that Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden engaged in corruption while the two had dealings in Ukraine. "They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state", he said. ", "Ukraine adopts new and improved referendum law", "Ukraine's referendum law passed during Yanukovych's presidency designated as unconstitutional", "Zelenskyy speeds up corruption crackdown, one oligarch at a time", "Ukrainian lawmakers pass law on oligarchs after assassination attempt", "Ukraine: why Volodymyr Zelensky is pursuing a disruptive agenda", " . Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the president of the Ukraine. [45], Zelenskyy worked mostly in Russian-language productions. United States government official. [217][218][219], On March 23, Zelenskyy was calling on Russians to emigrate from Russia so as not to finance the war in Ukraine with their taxes. [110] Zelenskyy's requests to replace the foreign minister, defence minister, chief prosecutor and head of Ukraine's security service were rejected by parliament. [78] French president Emmanuel Macron received Zelenskyy at the lyse Palace in Paris on 12 April 2019. Zelenskyy met personally with some of these groups and tried to convince them to surrender their unregistered weapons and accept the peace accord.
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