Ambassador William B. Taylor | United States Institute of Peace Volodymyr Zelensky, also spelled Volodymyr Zelenskyy, (born January 25, 1978, Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine, U.S.S.R. [now in Ukraine]), Ukrainian actor and comedian who was elected president of Ukraine in 2019. Zelenskyy has denied that he was pressured by Trump and declared that "he does not want to interfere in a foreign election. [12][13] Zelenskyy was named the Time Person of the Year for 2022 and opinion polls in Ukraine have ranked him as Ukraine's greatest president. [56] In place of traditional campaign rallies, he conducted stand-up comedy routines across Ukraine with his production company Kvartal 95. Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy; 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.. 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. [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. 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. His leadership during the crisis has won him widespread international praise, and he has been described as a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance. 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. [199] However, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was considering giving the Russian language protected minority status. [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. [144], Zelenskyy's first official trip abroad as president was to Brussels in June 2019, where he met with European Union and NATO officials. For the surname, see, First phase: Invasion of Ukraine (24 February 7 April), Second phase: South-Eastern front (8 April 5 September), Third phase: Counteroffensives and annexations (6 September present), Zelenskyy's name lacks an established Latin-alphabet spelling, and it has been romanized in various ways: for example. [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. [133] Although the ceasefire was frequently violated over the next few years and overall violence remained high, ceasefire violations in 2020 did decrease by over 50 per cent compared to the previous year. Their son, Kyrylo, was born in January 2013. Now he's standing up to Putin's army", ": , , , , ", " ()", "How funny is the comedian who may be Ukraine's next president? It's been a rough first year as vice president for Kamala Harris. He has positioned himself as an anti-establishment and anti-corruption figure. [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. [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. US Extremists Have Picked a Side in Ukraine: 'Lol Putin Is - Vice 1:31h Biograph Fox Videos, "Who Is Volodymyr Zelensky? [93][94][95] He also proposed to spend the money that would have been used to finance the parade on veterans. [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. [34] In the series, Zelenskyy's character was a high-school history teacher in his 30s who won the presidential election after a viral video showed him ranting against government corruption in Ukraine. [92], On 8 July, Zelenskyy ordered the cancellation of the annual Kyiv Independence Day Parade on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, citing costs. Volodymyr Zelensky | Biography, Facts, Presidency, & Russian Invasion ", "Leaders of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia to visit Kyiv on Tuesday", "A Zelensky Deepfake Was Quickly Defeated. [79] On 22 April, U.S. president Donald Trump congratulated Zelenskyy on his victory over the telephone. ][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. VP Harris heralds NATO unity as Ukraine crisis grows [70][71][72] In his introductory speech, Zelenskyy acknowledged that in 2014 he voted for Poroshenko, but "I was mistaken. 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. Trump called Zelensky on July 25 to congratulate the new president of Ukraine on his election. In a story you'll see only on ABC7 News, Bay Area native and Vice President Kamala Harris discusses Asian-owned businesses, reflected on her past two years in office as the nation's first female . [275][276] In April 2019, he stated that he was not against a Ukrainian language quota (on radio and TV), although he noted they could be tweaked. [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. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor . The prime minister presides over the cabinet. 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. "[194] Zelenskyy said he was "99.9 percent sure" that Putin thought the Ukrainians would welcome the invading forces with "flowers and smiles". President of Ukraine. The claim: Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion from Ukraine to assist his son, Hunter Biden While former Vice President Joe Biden oversaw foreign policy in Ukraine, his son Hunter. [290] British newspaper Financial Times selected Zelenskyy as Person of the Year in 2022. Is this, finally, Kamala Harris' moment? - CNN U.S. Vice President To Discuss Ukraine, China In Talks With Foreign . First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine - Wikipedia [102] Fixing the referendum law had been one of Zelenskyy's campaign promises. 0 views, 0 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Talk 99.5: Fox News' Tucker Carlson asks what Attorney General Merrick Garland is doing in Ukraine, and wonders why no one. During the war in Donbas, he actively supported the Ukrainian army. In 1997 . [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. [169] In part of the address, he spoke in Russian to the people of Russia, appealing to them to pressure their leadership to prevent war: Who will suffer the most from this? [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. Its Jewish president lost family in the Holocaust", "Zelensky offers insight into family history, igniting debate over Ukrainian Holocaust memory", "3 years ago Zelenskyy was a TV comedian. Mr. President, fellow ladies and gentlemen, journalists and everyone in this room, the team of President Biden: I'm very happy to welcome you in. WASHINGTON An election-year investigation by Senate Republicans into corruption allegations against Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his son, Hunter, involving Ukraine found no evidence of improper . Fox News host Tucker Carlson admitted on Thursday that he was wrong about the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine but blamed the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris for his . Good afternoon, everyone. [110] Zelenskyy's requests to replace the foreign minister, defence minister, chief prosecutor and head of Ukraine's security service were rejected by parliament. [152] President Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska also took part in the opening of the Ukrainian House in Washington, D.C.[151] On the same trip, he met with Apple CEO Tim Cook[153] and with Ukrainians in senior positions at Silicon Valley tech companies[154] and spoke at Stanford University. What really happened when Biden forced out Ukraine's top prosecutor [50][51][62] On 16 April 2019, a few days before the election, 20 Ukrainian news outlets called on Zelenskyy to "stop avoiding journalists". What Joe Biden Actually Did in Ukraine - The New York Times "[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. [261], Zelenskyy supported the late 2013 and early 2014 Euromaidan movement. [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]. 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. By Jennifer Hassan. "[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. Prior to this, Bohdan had been the lawyer of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi. [105], Zelenskyy appointed Andriy Bohdan as head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. BRASILIA, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro disauthorized his Vice President Hamilton Mourao on Thursday for saying that Brazil opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine..