Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is a Ukrainian politician, and former actor and comedian, who is the sixth and current president of Ukraine. Zelenskyy grew up as a native Russian speaker in Kryvyi Rih, a major city in the Dnipropetrovsk Oblast of central Ukraine. He grew up as a native Russian speaker but also learned Ukrainian and English languages.
Early life & Education of Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Born to a Jewish Couple on 25th January 1978 in a commercial city called Kryvyi Rih, in the region of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Central Ukraine. As a child, he was a curious child and always had an inclination towards drama, theatre, acting, and comedy. He wanted to go abroad to Israel to study however his father denied his plans and instead got him admitted to Kryvyh Rih Economic Institute, (in the year 1995) it’s the local campus of Kyiv National Economic University. He graduated with a law degree in 2000.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Career as an artist
Zelenskyy had the license to practice law however his ambitions were clearly elsewhere. He while studying law in 1997 started a group called “Kvartal 95”, named after the area where Zelenskyy grew up in central Kryvyi Rih. He participated in the finals of KVN its English name is “Club of the funny and inventive people”. This was showcased nationally in Ukraine and across the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Zelenskyy and Kvartal 95 became the in-house shows at KVN and they continued appearing live on the show till 2003. The same year Zelenskyy co-founded Studio Kvartal 95 which was a production studio in which he joined as the artistic director.
Start of Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Political career
Now how his path crossed with politics is a very interesting turn of events. The former Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych was ousted for rejecting the Ukraine-European Association Agreement. Giving rise to a series of unrest among Ukrainians. Special police forces and Ukrainian protestors had a major clash and it turned into a Revolution of Dignity.
After President Yanukovych was ousted Billionaire Petro Poroshenko was elected as the 5th President of Ukraine. He treaded Ukraine carefully during the initial stages of the Russo-Ukrainian war, sending the rebel separatists into the Donbas region. He worked towards integrating Ukraine into the European Union by agreeing to the contract of the Ukraine-European Union Association Agreement which never saw the light of the day.
During Petro’s, Presidency Ukraine suffered under Russian-backed separatist groups in the Donbas region (which today stands as an independent state recognized by Russia) and corruption was deep-rooted in Ukraine which lost the confidence of Ukrainians.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s last work as actor/comedian
Now during this time, Zelenskyy acted in a TV series titled “ Servant of the People”, starring as the President of Ukraine. His role was that of a school teacher who is very amiable and is frustrated with the political state of Ukraine and wants to bring about a lot of changes but can’t as he is just a teacher, however, the story goes on and overnight he becomes the President of Ukraine and how funny and comical ways and satirical dialogues form the brilliance of this TV series. It aired between October 2014 to March 2019.
Little did Zelenskyy know that his role as a reel President would turn into real President of Ukraine one day.
Full-time politician: Volodymyr Zelenskyy
During the 2019 Presidential elections, Zelenskyy decided to bank in on his popularity and registered his political party under the same name of his TV series “Servant of the People”. More than a dozen candidates participated during the elections He won the elections by sweeping votes and became the President of Ukraine in 2019.
Soon after securing Ukraine’s topmost government post, Zelenskyy had to face Russian President Putin’s political games. Putin had announced giving Russian Passports to Ukrainians displaced in the separatist region of Donbas. Zelenskyy mocked and criticized Putin for ‘suppressing people under authoritarian rule. What good would it do to the displaced Ukrainians?
In 2019 Donald Trump asked Zelenskyy to give explicit details of an energy contract in which Joe Biden’s son Hunter was involved in stating that Joe Biden then VP for the US, had used his power and position to help Hunter Biden crack a deal with the Ukrainian energy conglomerate Burisma Holding. Trump had back then halted the $400 million security aid to Ukraine asking for these details, which Zelenskyy did not succumb to showcasing strong moral values.
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Sadly it all started with Ukraine’s pro-west inclination. It wanted to be an active member of NATO and if Ukraine would establish that membership, Russia’s borders were in a dangerous position. Russia warned time and again that it is not comfortable with the NATO forces coming close to its borders and gave several warnings to Ukraine from refraining from any advancement.
On 24th February Russia lost its patience and waged an offensive against Ukraine.
Fast Forward today Russia has entered its 12th day of an offensive brutal against Ukraine. As Russia warned Zelenskyy to not take up the NATO membership and to stay away from the European Union as well. Zelenskyy is just fighting for his nation’s basic right to freedom. Freedom of choice, Freedom of expression. He is a bona fide statesman and has rejected US aid in airlifting him and his family to a safe haven.
Zelenskyy had asked for a no-fly zone over Ukraine by the Russian air force, US is yet to grant it to Zelenskyy although severe sanctions have been levied by the US and its allied partners since 24th February.
