His decision to stay in Kyiv despite numerous opportunities to flee is proof of his sincerity, despite the fact that his meteoric rise to popularity has been attributed to a carefully orchestrated propaganda campaign.
Famously, he famously said, “I need ammunition, not a ride,” when the United States offered to evacuate him to a safer location in the first few days of the invasion. His plans are firm: he won’t leave Kyiv until the very end. Whatever the outcome of the war.
Many puzzles surround this tough, fiery new player on the international stage. Find below some general information about Volodymyr Zelensky as well as answers to some frequently asked questions.
WHAT IS VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY?
Volodymyr Oleksandrovich Zelensky was born on January 25, 1978, in what is now Ukraine. He is Jewish and speaks Russian fluently. On May 20th, 2019, he was sworn in as president of Ukraine.
Zelensky used to be a stand-up comic before he decided to run for president. His portrayal of Vasily Petrovich Goloborodko on the Ukrainian show Servant of the People brought him the most fame (C ).
Vasily, the protagonist he portrayed, was a high school teacher who, through a series of bizarre events, became president of Ukraine. Vasily, a man of integrity and a political newcomer, took on the systemic corruption in the Ukrainian government.
Zelensky’s candidacy for president was met with skepticism due to his lack of political experience and history.
His campaign did an excellent job of portraying him as a pillar of morality who would clean up government. Zelensky, in contrast to some of Ukraine’s previous leaders, promised to hasten the country’s transition into a modern European nation, one that is immune to the subversive influences of the Russian Federation.
A Ukrainian media mogul who donated to his campaign has been accused of having too much influence over him.
In response to this accusation, Zelensky joked that if doing business with oligarchs was a sign of corruption, then virtually everyone in Ukraine would be corrupt because oligarchs own almost everything there.