Since 2015, Ukraine has banned Russian artists and other Russian works of culture from entering Ukraine. [200], On 15 March 2022, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, together with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jana, visited Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy in a display of support for Ukraine. [38], Zelenskyy was a member of the board and the general producer of the TV channel Inter from 2010 to 2012. [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. [110] Zelenskyy's requests to replace the foreign minister, defence minister, chief prosecutor and head of Ukraine's security service were rejected by parliament. [40] In 2018, the romantic comedy Love in the Big City 2 starring Zelenskyy was banned in Ukraine.[why? [266][267] As he considered the leaders of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic (DPR and LPR) to be Russia's "puppets", it would "make no sense to speak with them". 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. [130][131] Ultimately, the peace deal failed to reduce the violence, much less end the war. 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.. For all other inquiries, please call 202.457.1700. [175] In an early morning address that day, Zelenskyy said that his intelligence services had identified him as Russia's top target, but that he is staying in Kyiv and his family will remain in the country. Public figures, journalists, musicians, actors, athletes, scientists, doctors, bloggers, stand-up comedians, Tik-Tokers and many more. [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. These companies included some that owned expensive London property. But we have a right to urge a transformation from an appeasement policy to one that ensures security and peace," he stated.[168]. [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. . [243] He also said that Putin is aware that the "world will never forgive" a Russian nuclear strike. The position of vice president also exists in the executive structure of many other governments and businesses. Zelenskyy announced his candidacy in the 2019 presidential election on the evening of 31 December 2018, alongside the New Year's Eve address of then-president Petro Poroshenko on the TV channel 1+1. [19], In 2008, he starred in the feature film Love in the Big City, and its sequel, Love in the Big City 2. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the president of the Ukraine. 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 . March 12, 2022 After war began last month, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine turned to Mykhailo Fedorov, a vice prime minister, for a key role. Zelenskyy met personally with some of these groups and tried to convince them to surrender their unregistered weapons and accept the peace accord. "[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. He won the election with 73.23percent of the vote in the second round, defeating Poroshenko. We voted for one Poroshenko, but received another. 95 , the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine's protracted conflict with Russia, an ongoing full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022, Kryvyi Rih State University of Economics and Technology, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, List of international presidential trips made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, annexing four regions of Ukrainian territory, representative of the president of Ukraine, Ukraine can apply for European Union membership, Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, Honorary Diploma of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, [olodmr oleksndrowd zelnskj], [vldimr lksandrvd zlenskj], "Zelensky, Zelenskiy, Zelenskyy: Spelling Confusion Doesn't Help Ukraine", "Dear colleagues, this is the official form of the last name that the President has in his passport. 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 . The vice president's experience offers a reminder of the urgent need for a bipartisan foreign policy. 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. 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. [268], In response to suggestions to the contrary, he stated in April 2019 that he regarded Russian president Vladimir Putin "as an enemy". [259][260], Zelenskyy has tried to position Ukraine as a neutral party in the political and trade tensions between the United States and China. 11:58 A.M. (Local) THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. whitehouse.gov. [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. 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? 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. Vice President Harris's trip to Germany in the midst of the Ukraine crisis this past . "[159][160] In December 2021, Zelenskyy called for preemptive action against Russia. "They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state", he said. [166][167], On 19 February, as worries of a Russian invasion of Ukraine grew, Zelenskyy warned the Munich Security Conference that Western nations should abandon their "appeasement" attitude toward Moscow. [70][71][72] In his introductory speech, Zelenskyy acknowledged that in 2014 he voted for Poroshenko, but "I was mistaken. They must know the truth. [252] At the same time, he believed that the Ukrainian people had already chosen "eurointegration". [269] On 2 May 2019, Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook that "the border is the only thing Russia and Ukraine have in common". The 46th and current president of the United States is Joseph R. Biden, Jr. [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. 1 target', "Ukraine's capital under threat as Russia presses invasion", "Volodymyr Zelenskiy stands defiant in face of Russian attack", "93 Percent of Ukrainians Believe Russia Will Be Defeated: Poll", "Majority of Ukrainians believe they will win against Russia - poll", "Americans have more confidence in Zelenskyy than Biden when it comes to world affairs", "Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From comedian to national hero", "Actor-turned-president Zelensky grows on stage as Ukraine's war-time leader", "Zelenskyy's unlikely journey, from comedy to wartime leader", "For many Jews, Volodymyr Zelensky is a 'modern Maccabee' as he fights Ukraine's war", "Ukraine leader Zelenskyy's wild ride: Jewish comedian to national hero", "Ukraine president suddenly thrust into hero role, mirrors one of the darkest chapters of the Cold War", "Zelensky emerges as global hero in Ukraine battle against Russia", "Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Standing Tall in the Face of Danger", "Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky: The comedian president who is rising to the moment", "Volodymyr Zelensky survives three assassination attempts in days", "Zelensky says 'we will not forgive' after Russians kill fleeing civilians", "Czech president to award state honour to Ukraine's president", "Ukraine's Zelenskiy Says Open to 'Compromise' with Russia on Crimea, Separatist Territories", "Zelensky Calls on Putin for Face-to-Face Talks, Says 'I Don't Bite', "Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine ready to discuss neutrality in peace talks with Russia", "Russia will stop 'in a moment' if Ukraine meets terms Kremlin", "Israel's Bennett plays peacemaker in Ukraine-Russia war", "Analysis: Two weeks into Ukraine war, analysts detect faint glimmers of compromise emerge", "Alternative to NATO proposed by Zelensky's party", "Why has Russia invaded Ukraine and what does Putin want? While Denys Shmyhal, the prime minister of Ukraine, would likely be considered the next most senior official, Ruslan Stefanchuk, the. According to Zelenskyy, since the beginning of the invasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping had refused to speak with him. "[236], On 30 May 2022, Zelenskyy criticized EU leaders for being too soft on Russia and asked, "Why can Russia still earn almost a billion euros a day by selling energy? [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. 1:23 144.1K views 625 1,381 10.2K [231] On 25 May 2022, he said that Ukraine would not agree to peace until Russia agreed to return Crimea and the Donbas region to Ukraine. People. Later, the movie was dubbed into Ukrainian. "[233], On 3 May 2022, Zelenskyy accused Turkey of having "double standards" by welcoming Russian tourists while attempting to act as an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine in order to end the war. Her primary message, however, was not necessarily to Ukrainians but to people living in the countries just to its west, who are watching Russian President Vladimir Putin and wondering where he. [19] Zelenskyy grew up speaking Russian. February 25, 2022, 11:05am. [174] On 25 February, Zelenskyy said that despite Russia's claim that it was targeting only military sites, civilian sites were also being hit. I am sure there are. During the war in Donbas, he actively supported the Ukrainian army. Good afternoon, everyone. According to Article 102 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine is the Head of State and acts in its name, is the guarantor of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, compliance with the Constitution of Ukraine, rights and freedoms of man and citizen. [79] On 22 April, U.S. president Donald Trump congratulated Zelenskyy on his victory over the telephone. [18][19][20][21] His father, Oleksandr Zelenskyy, is a professor and computer scientist and the head of the Department of Cybernetics and Computing Hardware at the Kryvyi Rih State University of Economics and Technology; his mother, Rymma Zelenska, used to work as an engineer. 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. [246][247] He met with President Joe Biden and addressed Congress delivering his full speech in English. Also, fact-checkers Logically reported that the image is of a Ukrainian soldier from August 2021. [85] One of Zelenskyy's coalition partners, the People's Front, opposed the move and withdrew from the ruling coalition. "The Polish government announced Tuesday that it was putting its fleet of MiG jets at American disposal to supply to Ukraine . ( )", "Zelensky's childhood friend appointed SBU's first deputy chief (Document)", " ", " . [278][279] Civil rights organizations praised the statement, though criticizing its vagueness, as Zelenskyy eschewed details about legal proposals for civil partnerships. 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. [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. More From Britannica [146], In September 2019, it was reported that U.S. president Donald Trump had allegedly blocked payment of a congressionally mandated $400 million military aid package to Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy during a July phone call between the two presidents to investigate alleged wrongdoing by Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden,[69][147] who took a board seat on Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings. Prior to his acting career, he obtained a degree in law from the Kyiv National Economic University. [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. Please submit all media inquiries to interviews@usip.org or call 202.429.3869. Donald Trump. 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. [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. CPAC Straw Poll: Trump Wins in Blow Out - Donald Trump dominated the 2023 CPAC Straw Poll. [120] In his 4 March address to the Rada,[121] Zelenskyy recommitted to reforms domestic and financial, and remarked that he "cannot always become a psychologist for people, a crisis manager for someone, a collector who requires honestly earned money, and a nanny of the ministry in charge. [234] On 25 May 2022, Zelenskyy said that he was satisfied with China's policy of staying away from the conflict. "Zelensky" redirects here. Leave our land. [227][228] As Zelenskyy ordered a general military mobilization in February 2022, he also banned men aged 18 to 60 from leaving Ukraine. In the early hours of 24 February, shortly before the start of the Russian invasion, Zelenskyy recorded an address to the citizens of both Ukraine and Russia. 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.