Today, we're announcing new actions to lower mortgage payments and help more people realize that dream. The only candidate who finished near the former president, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, finished with only 20 percent of the . "I wish Putin was president of America . Critics said it risked increasing media censorship in Ukraine[97] because its clause of criminal responsibility for the distribution of disinformation could be abused. President Obama named Biden the administration's point man on Ukraine in February 2014, after a popular revolution ousted Russia-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych and as Moscow sent. [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. [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. He was sworn in on January 20, 2021. In 2016, she participated in the show The Comedy Comet Company Comedy's Kids and won 50,000. We don't have any firearms. This can't be anything but fake as Ukraine does not have a vice president. Shefir was unhurt in the attack, although his driver was hospitalized with three bullet wounds. 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. The speech was widely described as "emotional" and "astonishing". 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. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky presents the Order of Princess Olga, a Ukrainian civil decoration, to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during a . His leadership during the crisis has won him widespread international praise, and he has been described as a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance. [283], Zelenskyy's first language is Russian, and he is also fluent in Ukrainian and English. 2000 - Graduated from Kyiv National Economic University, with a law degree. [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. "[149], On a trip to the United States in September 2021, Zelenskyy engaged in talks and commitments with U.S. president Joe Biden,[150] Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm,[151] and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. [196] On 8 March, Zelenskyy expressed willingness to discuss Putin's demands. [19][36][37] That same year, he created and headed the Kvartal 95 team, which later transformed into the comedy outfit Kvartal 95. [248], In a mid-June interview with BIHUS info[uk] a representative of the president of Ukraine at the Cabinet of Ministers, Andriy Herus stated that Zelenskyy had never promised to lower communal tariffs, but that a campaign video in which Zelenskyy stated that the price of natural gas in Ukraine could fall by 2030 per cent or maybe more was a not a direct promise but actually "half-hinting" and "joking". Mr Trump and his allies suggested that Mr Biden, as Barack Obama's vice-president, encouraged the firing of Ukraine's top prosecutor in 2015 because he had been investigating an energy. [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. [101], In June 2021, Zelenskyy submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a bill creating a public registry of Ukraine's oligarchs, banning them from participating in privatizations of state-owned companies, and forbidding them from contributing financially to politicians. [34] Zelenskyy helped fund a volunteer battalion fighting on Donbas. [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. They must know the truth. [87], Zelenskyy's first major proposal to change the electoral system from a plurality voting system to proportional representation with closed party lists was strongly rejected by the Ukrainian parliament, due to the belief that closed lists would lead to more corruption in government. [268], In responding to a petition demanding equal rights for same-sex couples, Zelenskyy echoed the view that family does not depend on sex and asked the Prime Minister of Ukraine to review civil partnerships for same-sex couples. [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. 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. ][41], After the Ukrainian media had reported that during the Russo-Ukrainian War Zelenskyy's Kvartal 95 had donated 1 million to the Ukrainian army, some Russian politicians and artists petitioned for a ban on his works in Russia. [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. [203], Zelenskyy has made an effort to rally the governments of Western nations in an effort to isolate Russia. Who does not want this more than anyone? ( )", "Zelensky's childhood friend appointed SBU's first deputy chief (Document)", " ", " . [181] A Pew Research Center poll found that 72% of Americans had confidence in Zelenskyy's handling of international affairs. I am sure there are. In 2019, he served as charg d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv and as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 . [256] Two days before the second round, Zelenskyy stated that he wanted to build "a strong, powerful, free Ukraine, which is not the younger sister of Russia, which is not a corrupt partner of Europe, but our independent Ukraine". The society will not forgive them", adding that "It will be the choice of our society whether to talk to them, or not to talk at all, and for how many years, tens of years or more. Eduard Heger, the Slovak prime minister, compared the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. I would very much like to answer this question. 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. But the citizens of Russia must see it. [252] At the same time, he believed that the Ukrainian people had already chosen "eurointegration". [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. [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. 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 . 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 . "The Polish government announced Tuesday that it was putting its fleet of MiG jets at American disposal to supply to Ukraine . [115] Arsen Avakov, a controversial figure due to longstanding corruption allegations,[116] was kept on as interior minister, with Honcharuk arguing that the relatively inexperienced government needed experienced administrators and that Avakov had been "'drawn red lines' that cannot be crossed. [291], Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi, an extinct species of feather star described on 20 July 2022 by a group of Polish paleontologists, is named after Zelenskyy "for his courage and bravery in defending free Ukraine".[304][305]. [267] In an interview published three days before the 2019 presidential election (on 21 April), Zelenskyy stated that he was against granting the Donbas region "special status". [107] Bohdan, however, contended that because heading the presidential administration is not considered civil service work, lustration did not apply to him. But not from 30 meters away, like with Macron and Scholz. 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 . February 25, 2022, 11:05am. [130][131] Ultimately, the peace deal failed to reduce the violence, much less end the war. CPAC Straw Poll: Trump Wins in Blow Out - Donald Trump dominated the 2023 CPAC Straw Poll. [98], In January 2020, Zelenskyy took a trip to Oman that was not published on his official schedule, appearing to combine a personal holiday with government business. [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. The series aired from 2015 to 2019 and was immensely popular. [198] Zelenskyy's Servant of the People party said that Ukraine would not give up its claims on Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk. [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. Please not that all time are approximate and are subject to change. Prior to the elections, Zelenskyy presented a team that included former finance minister Oleksandr Danylyuk and others. Men, women, the elderly, children, fathers, and most importantly, mothers. [176] In the early hours of 26 February, during the most significant assault by Russian troops on the capital of Kyiv, the United States government and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoan urged Zelenskyy to evacuate to a safer location, and both offered assistance for such an effort. [19] Zelenskyy continued his movie career with the film Office Romance. [113], In the 21 July 2019 parliamentary election, Zelenskyy's political party, Servant of the People, won the first single-party majority in modern Ukrainian history in parliament, with 43 per cent of the party-list vote. 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. Ruslan Ryaboshapka, who served as Ukraine's prosecutor general until March, conducted a full audit of all the criminal cases in Ukraine involving the company and told The Post he found no. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Chairman, members of the Rada, ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply honored to be invited to speak to you today at a moment marked by great opportunity . The United States announced they would supply Patriot missiles to Ukraine as had been requested. [11] After the start of the invasion, Zelenskyy declared martial law across Ukraine and a general mobilisation of the armed forces. White nationalist livestreamer Nicholas Fuentes has made no secret of where his loyalties lie in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. [93][94][95] He also proposed to spend the money that would have been used to finance the parade on veterans. [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". January 25, 1978 - Born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. [229] In early June 2022, Zelenskyy's adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat every day. nov., a first nearly complete feather star (Crinoidea) from the Upper Jurassic of Africa", "Fossil Named After Ukraine's President Zelenskyy", "NFL Honors Highlights Defenders of Ukraine", Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy? We will not forgive. [269] On 2 May 2019, Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook that "the border is the only thing Russia and Ukraine have in common". In remarks to reporters in Houston, Trump described his conversation with the Ukrainian. Just like people in Ukraine. [254] Zelenskyy's electoral programme claimed that Ukrainian NATO membership is "the choice of the Maidan and the course that is enshrined in the Constitution, in addition, it is an instrument for strengthening our defense capability". . [165] Zelenskyy and U.S. president Joe Biden disagreed on how imminent the threat was. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor . By AAMER MADHANI and MATTHEW LEE February 18, 2022. President Joe Biden is being briefed "regularly" on the situation in Ukraine by his national security team at the White House this weekend, press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. [42][43][c] Once again, Zelenskyy spoke out against the intention of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to ban Russian artists from Ukraine.[39]. [136][137] Soon, rumors began that Zelenskyy may have had some additional meetings beside the ones that were announced. [76][77] Polish president Andrzej Duda was one of the first European leaders to congratulate Zelenskyy. "[citation needed] By September 2020, Zelenskyy's approval ratings had fallen to less than 32 per cent. [172] Zelenskyy also announced that diplomatic relations with Russia were being severed, effective immediately. In Zelenskyy's 2014 movie 8 New Dates, their daughter played Sasha, the daughter of the protagonist. [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. [164] Zelenskyy said that "we do not see a bigger escalation" than in early 2021 when Russia's military build-up started. 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 . [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. I don't bite. [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. Honchurak was replaced as prime minister Denys Shmyhal. The first appears when there are video cameras, the other Petro sends Medvedchuk privietiki (greetings) to Moscow". Ukraine needs real reforms. 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. [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. [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). Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine on April 21, 2019. [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. [19] Love in the Big City 3 was released in January 2014. While Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister of Ukraine, would likely be considered the next most senior official, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the. "[117], Zelenskyy dismissed Bohdan as head of his presidential administration on 11 February 2020 and appointed Andriy Yermak as his successor the same day. In 1997 . Taras Gorbul, FOUNDER & CEO of Superheroes.marketing, Vice President of the Ukrainian-Swiss Business Association, and a Board Member of the NGO "Superheroes of Recounting a trip to Kyiv in late 2015, Biden described telling the then-president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, that he had to fire the prosecutor general or the US would not release $1 billion in loan guarantees. 'I am more responsible than brave', "Ukraine still backs Zelenskyy despite slow progress", "Military tactics: Zelensky plays both sides in Ukrainian crisis", "Ukraine war: what are Russia's strategic aims and how effectively are they achieving them? [111][112] Zelenskyy also dismissed and replaced 20 of the governors of Ukraine's 24 oblasts. [19] He recorded the voice of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian dubbing of Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017). 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. [64][59] During the campaign, concerns were raised over his links to the oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi,[65] a billionaire businessman who had gained control of the 1+1 Media Group in 2010. 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 . The EU will be with you and your people tomorrow and for as long as it takes. [174] On 25 February, Zelenskyy said that despite Russia's claim that it was targeting only military sites, civilian sites were also being hit. [74], Zelenskyy clearly won the first round of elections on 31 March 2019. ", "Zelenskyy Again Asking Rada To Dismiss Lutsenko And Klimkin, Appoint Prystaiko As Foreign Affairs Minister", "Zelensky appoints his first governors in Lviv, Donetsk, Zakarpattia oblasts", "Volodymyr Zelensky clears the old elite out of parliament", "Oleksiy Honcharuk named prime minister, Cabinet approved", "Ukrainian Parliament Accepts Resignation Of Influential Interior Minister", " ' , : " ", "Zelensky dismisses head of president's office Bohdan, appoints Yermak instead", "Ukrainian president removes PM in government reshuffle", "Hasty government reshuffle sows disquiet at home, abroad", "Speech by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy at an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada", "Zelensky's approval rating slides to 31% poll", "Zelensky enacts strategy for de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea", "Ukraine conflict: Anger as Zelensky agrees vote deal in east", " ", "Telephone conversation with President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky", "Putin and Zelensky hold first discussion with talks on conflict, prisoner swap", "Thousands protest Ukraine leader's peace plan", "The basis for a peaceful resolution of the war in eastern Ukraine trends at the end of 2019", "Far-right groups protest Ukrainian president's peace plan", "Ukraine tensions: what is the Normandy format and has it achieved anything?