[108] A number of the members of the Presidential Administration Zelenskyy appointed were former colleagues from his former production company, Kvartal 95,[106] including Ivan Bakanov, who became deputy head of the Ukrainian Secret Service. The only candidate who finished near the former president, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, finished with only 20 percent of the . For all other inquiries, please call 202.457.1700. [128] The agreement failed to ease the conflict, as the separatists continued their attacks and Russia continued providing them with weapons and ammunition. In 1997 . [129], In December 2019, Russia and Ukraine agreed to resume talks mediated by France and Germany under the so-called Normandy Format, which had been abandoned in 2016; it was Zelenskyy's first face-to-face meeting with Vladimir Putin. [158] Russia denied any involvement in a coup plot and Akhmetov said in a statement that "the information made public by Volodymyr Zelenskiy about attempts to draw me into some kind of coup is an absolute lie. The EU will be with you and your people tomorrow and for as long as it takes. It's a great, pleasure to be once more here in Kyiv to reaffirm the depth of the partnership between our two peoples. [118], In March 2020, Honchurak resigned as prime minister following the leak of an audio recording in which he appeared to belittle Zelenskyy's economic management. [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. He added that Putin "wants to scare the whole world" with nuclear blackmail. [38], Zelenskyy was a member of the board and the general producer of the TV channel Inter from 2010 to 2012. [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. [14][15][16][17], Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy was born to Jewish parents on 25 January 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Honchurak was replaced as prime minister Denys Shmyhal. [190] While speaking about Ukrainian civilians who were killed by Russian forces, Zelenskyy said:[191]. [281], In September 2003, Zelenskyy married Olena Kiyashko, with whom he had attended school and university. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presents the Order of Princess Olga, a Ukrainian civil decoration, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a . [96], In 2020, Zelenskyy's party proposed reforms to Ukraine's media laws with the intent to increase competition and loosen the dominance of Ukrainian oligarchs on television and radio broadcasters. White nationalist livestreamer Nicholas Fuentes has made no secret of where his loyalties lie in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. [255] The program states that Ukraine should set the goal to apply for a NATO Membership Action Plan in 2024. [230], Zelenskyy denounced suggestions by former US diplomat Henry Kissinger that Ukraine should cede control of Crimea and Donbas to Russia in exchange for peace. [122], On 24 March 2021, Zelenskyy signed the Decree 117/2021 approving the "strategy for de-occupation and reintegration of the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. [268], In response to suggestions to the contrary, he stated in April 2019 that he regarded Russian president Vladimir Putin "as an enemy". After starting at Domino's Pizza in 1992 in Montreal, Canada as a part-time job, he decided to take on the challenge of being a store manager for one of Montreal's original four shops. [144], Zelenskyy's first official trip abroad as president was to Brussels in June 2019, where he met with European Union and NATO officials. [34], In August 2014, Zelenskyy spoke out against the intention of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to ban Russian artists from Ukraine. Regular, normal people. [4]:1113 His communication style makes extensive use of social media, particularly Instagram. [78] French president Emmanuel Macron received Zelenskyy at the lyse Palace in Paris on 12 April 2019. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife Olena paid tribute to the victims of the 1932-1933 Holodomor (Great Famine in Ukraine of 1932-33) at a monument to the victims in Kyiv, Ukraine . "Ukraine has been granted security assurances in exchange for giving up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. He promised to bring the salary for military personnel "to the level of NATO standards". [224] Zelenskyy has also supported consolidating all TV news stations into a single 24-hour news broadcast run by the state of Ukraine. [60][61] He styled himself as an anti-establishment, anti-corruption figure, although he was not generally described as a populist. [242], On 25 September 2022, Zelenskyy said that Putins threats to use nuclear weapons "could be a reality." It's been a rough first year as vice president for Kamala Harris. 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 . He has made numerous addresses to the legislatures of the EU,[204][205] UK,[206] Poland,[207] Australia,[208] Canada,[209] US,[210] Germany,[211] Israel,[212] Italy,[213] Japan,[214] the Netherlands,[215] Romania,[216] and the Nordic countries. Symbolic moment today in Munich as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy stood side by side with Vice President Harris just days ahead of what the U.S. says is a planned Russian attack on Ukraine. "[162][163] On 28 January, Zelenskyy called on the West not to create a "panic" in his country over a potential Russian invasion, adding that constant warnings of an "imminent" threat of invasion are putting the economy of Ukraine at risk. [134], On 8 January 2020, the Presidential Office announced that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was cutting his trip to Oman short owing to the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 plane crash in nearby Iran the same day. [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. Ukraine needs real reforms. Born to a Ukrainian Jewish family, Zelenskyy grew up as a native Russian speaker in Kryvyi Rih, a major city of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast in central Ukraine. [10] He initially distanced himself from warnings of an imminent war, while also calling for security guarantees and military support from NATO to "withstand" the threat. Just like people in Ukraine. 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. [19][34], At age 17, he joined his local team competing in the KVN comedy competition. Zelenskyy met personally with some of these groups and tried to convince them to surrender their unregistered weapons and accept the peace accord. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak is convinced that by their heroic struggle against Russian aggression, Ukrainians have reminded the world of the true values of democracy and freedom, which always prevail. And the truth is that this needs to stop, before it is too late. Please not that all time are approximate and are subject to change. May 1, 2022 at 10:04 a.m. EDT. Trump called Zelensky on July 25 to congratulate the new president of Ukraine on his election. Despite this, Zelenskyy highlighted that the day would "honor heroes" on Independence Day, however the "format will be new". His first role in the Ukrainian language was the romantic comedy I, You, He, She,[46] which appeared on the screens of Ukraine in December 2018. [6][7][8], During his presidential campaign, Zelenskyy promised to end Ukraine's protracted conflict with Russia, and he has attempted to engage in dialogue with Russian president Vladimir Putin. And if the Russian leadership does not want to sit down at the table with us for the sake of peace, then perhaps, they will sit down at the table with you. [156], In April 2021, in response to Russian military build-up at the Ukrainian borders, Zelenskyy spoke to American president Joe Biden and urged NATO members to speed up Ukraine's request for membership. During the first two years of his administration, Zelenskyy oversaw the lifting of legal immunity for members of parliament (the Verkhovna Rada),[5] the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic recession, and some limited progress in tackling corruption in Ukraine. [73], Zelenskyy stated that as president he would develop the economy and attract investment to Ukraine through "a restart of the judicial system" and restoring confidence in the state. [19] The family lives in Kyiv. Regular people. [269] On 2 May 2019, Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook that "the border is the only thing Russia and Ukraine have in common". [19] Zelenskyy also played the leading role in the 2012 film 8 First Dates and in sequels which were produced in 2015 and 2016. "[258], In February 2022, he applied for Ukraine to join the European Union. A political party bearing the same name as the television show was created in March 2018 by employees of Kvartal 95. [241] Following Putin's announcement of Russia annexing four regions of Ukrainian territory it had seized during its invasion, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine would not hold peace talks with Russia while Putin was president. 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. [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". [86], On 28 May, Zelenskyy restored the Ukrainian citizenship of Mikheil Saakashvili. . So Is Its Prime Minister. "I wish Putin was president of America . His office said Zelenskyy paid for the entire trip himself. [285][286][287][288] His assets were worth about 37 million (about US$1.5 million) in 2018. I would very much like to answer this question. [221][222][223] The Communist Party of Ukraine, another pro-Russia party, had already been banned in 2015 because of its support to the Donbas separatists. [244] When asked what kind of relationship Ukrainians and Ukraine will have with Russia after the war, Zelenskyy replied that "They took too many people, too many lives. [246][247] He met with President Joe Biden and addressed Congress delivering his full speech in English. "I looked at them and said, 'I'm leaving in six hours,'" Biden told the crowd, taking a long look at his watch for effect . [31], Before starting elementary school, Zelenskyy lived for four years in the Mongolian city of Erdenet, where his father worked. [35] He was soon invited to join the united Ukrainian team "Zaporizhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit", which performed in the KVN's Major League, and eventually won in 1997. [265], In an interview in December 2018, Zelenskyy stated that as president he would try to end the ongoing war in Donbas by negotiating with Russia. The President won't be offended if BBC standards assume different transliteration", Zelensky Unchained: What Ukraine's New Political Order Means For Its Future, "Ukraine Lifts Prosecutorial Immunity For Members Of Parliament", "Ukraine's anti-corruption effort struggles, but soldiers on", Faltering fightback: Zelensky's piecemeal campaign against Ukraine's oligarchs, "FT Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelenskyy. [9] His administration faced an escalation of tensions with Russia in 2021, culminating in the launch of an ongoing full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. The original photo was taken during a rehearsal for a military parade in Kyiv. [141], On 17 January 2020, the presidential appointee Minister of Foreign Affairs Vadym Prystaiko was unable to give answers during the "times of questions to the government" in parliament when the people's deputies of Ukraine asked him about the visit's official agenda, the invitation from Oman, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who were preparing the visit, as well as how the president actually crossed the border while visiting Oman. The series aired from 2015 to 2019 and was immensely popular. Vice President Harris's trip to Germany in the midst of the Ukraine crisis this past . 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. MUNICH (AP) Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday heralded NATO unity during the escalating Ukraine crisis and warned Russia that the U.S. and Western allies stood ready to respond with tough sanctions if President Vladimir Putin moves forward with an invasion of Ukraine. This can't be anything but fake as Ukraine does not have a vice president. [195], On 7 March 2022, as a condition for ending the invasion, the Kremlin demanded Ukraine's neutrality; recognition of Crimea, which had been annexed by Russia, as Russian territory; and recognition of the self-proclaimed separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states. 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 . [70][71][72] In his introductory speech, Zelenskyy acknowledged that in 2014 he voted for Poroshenko, but "I was mistaken. Do Russians want war? [203], Zelenskyy has made an effort to rally the governments of Western nations in an effort to isolate Russia. Good afternoon, everyone. [182], Zelenskyy has gained worldwide recognition as the wartime leader of Ukraine during the Russian invasion; historian Andrew Roberts compared him to Winston Churchill. Leave our land. "[272], During the presidential campaign, Zelenskyy promised bills to fight corruption, including removal of immunity from the president of the country, members of the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) and judges, a law about impeachment, reform of election laws, and providing efficient trial by jury. According to Zelenskyy, since the beginning of the invasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping had refused to speak with him. Prior to his acting career, he obtained a degree in law from the Kyiv National Economic University. Taras Gorbul, FOUNDER & CEO of Superheroes.marketing, Vice President of the Ukrainian-Swiss Business Association, and a Board Member of the NGO "Superheroes of Burisma hired Hunter Biden to serve as a board member in 2014 when his vice president father was leading the Obama administration's Ukraine policy and paid him up to $1 million per year, despite . He was sworn in on January 20, 2021. As we have reported more than once last year, Biden traveled to Kyiv as vice president and warned Ukraine's then-president, Petro Poroshenko, that the U.S. would withhold $1 billion in loan. "[185] He has been described as a national hero or a "global hero" by many commentators, including publications such as The Hill, Deutsche Welle, Der Spiegel and USA Today. 1:23 144.1K views 625 1,381 10.2K [80][81] European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk also issued a joint letter of congratulations and stated that the European Union (EU) will work to speed up the implementation of the remainder of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. [92], On 8 July, Zelenskyy ordered the cancellation of the annual Kyiv Independence Day Parade on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, citing costs. "[123], One of Zelenskyy's central campaign promises had been to end the Russo-Ukrainian War and resolve the Russia-sponsored separatist movement there. [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). [105], Zelenskyy appointed Andriy Bohdan as head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. 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.". [257], In October 2020, he spoke in support of Azerbaijan in regards to the Nagorno-Karabakh war between Azerbaijan and ethnic Armenians over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh. [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. [48], In October 2021, the Pandora Papers revealed that Zelenskyy, his chief aide, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov operated a network of offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, and Belize. Opposition party leaders supported Zelenskyy's goal of reducing oligarchs' influence on politics in Ukraine but were critical of his approach, saying the public register would be both dangerous, as it concentrated power in the president; and ineffective, since oligarchs were merely a "symbol" of more deeply-rooted corruption. [140] Later, Yermak contacted the on-line newspaper Ukrainian Truth and gave more details about the visit to Oman and the plane crash in Iran. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor . As early as October 2018, three months before his campaign announcement and six months before the presidential election, he was already a frontrunner in opinion polls. "[117], Zelenskyy dismissed Bohdan as head of his presidential administration on 11 February 2020 and appointed Andriy Yermak as his successor the same day. I am outraged by the spread of this lie, no matter what the president's motives are. Olena Zelenska presented the Ukrainian Bookshelf and Ukrainian-language audio guides in Albania and Ireland 27 February 2023 - 15:24 First Lady of Ukraine had a meeting with the Minister of Culture of France 23 February 2023 - 23:00 Olena Zelenska: Ukraine is not just fighting the attacker - Ukraine is fighting for human rights In Zelenskyy's 2014 movie 8 New Dates, their daughter played Sasha, the daughter of the protagonist. Our Time in 2011 and with Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon in 2012. His party gained 254 of the 424 seats. [33] He later earned a law degree from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics, then a department of Kyiv National Economic University and now part of Kryvyi Rih National University, but never worked in the legal field. MUNICH Vice President Kamala Harris declared on Saturday that the United States had formally concluded that Russia has committed "crimes against humanity" in its invasion of Ukraine, and. The government of Ukraine understands and is conscious that the money is given only to those countries that actually overcome and fight corruption. [220] In March 2022, Zelenskyy supported the suspension of 11 Ukrainian political parties with ties to Russia: the Socialist Party of Ukraine, Derzhava, Left Opposition, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Opposition Platform For Life, Party of Shariy, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Union of Leftists, and the Volodymyr Saldo Bloc. [255] The programme also states that Zelenskyy "will do everything to ensure" that Ukraine can apply for European Union membership in 2024. Now the World's Eyes Are on Him", " 4 : ", "Zelenskiy: contribution of Ukrainians in victory over Nazism huge", "18 things to know about Jewish defender of Ukrainian democracy Volodymyr Zelensky", "Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the story of his family during a joint speech with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu", "Putin says he'll 'denazify' Ukraine.