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Volodymyr Zelenskyy -

Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy was born on January 25, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih in what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Soviet Ukraine was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union from the Union's inception in 1922 until its breakup in 1991).

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Kryvyi Rih -

Kryvyi Rih is the largest city in central southern Ukraine and is where Zelenskyy spent part of his early childhood before his family relocated to Erdenet, Mongolia, for four years before returning to Kryvyy Rih.

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School and study -

Zelenskyy went to school in Kryvyi Rih. In 1995, he entered Kryvyy Rih Economic Institute, and in 2000 graduated with a degree in law. Pictured is his school class.

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Marriage to Olena Kiyashko -

In September 2003, Volodymyr Zelenskyy married Olena Kiyashko, with whom he had attended school. The couple have two children, a son and daughter. They are pictured in August 2021 attending the Kyiv Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.

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Career path -

While licensed to practice law, Zelenskyy chose a different career path, opting instead to pursue comedy. As a student, he'd expressed an interest in theater, and this would become his primary focus over the next few years.

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'KVN' -

In 1997, Zelenskyy's performance group, Kvartal 95, enjoyed nationwide television exposure and became regulars on 'KVN' ("Club of the Funny and Inventive People"). They appeared on the popular show until 2003.

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Studio Kvartal 95 -

'KNV' provided a springboard for the burgeoning comic. In 2003, he cofounded Studio Kvartal 95, a production company that would become one of country's most successful light entertainment studios.

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Celebrity status -

By the early 2000s, Zelenskyy was one of Ukraine's most popular celebrities, recognized everywhere he went. His corporate status was raised when in 2011 he was named general producer of the Ukrainian television channel Inter TV.

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Film actor -

Meanwhile he continued to appear on stage, and he also made his first foray into cinema. In fact, Zelenskyy has to date made eight films, including the historical farce 'Rzhevskiy Versus Napoleon' (2012), in which he plays Napoleon. In 2014, he provided the dubbed voice for Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian version of the live-action animated comedy film.

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Art imitating life -

In October 2015, Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared in 'Servant of the People,' a political satire comedy television series. In it, he portrays a high school history teacher who is unexpectedly elected President of Ukraine. The show was a massive hit, so much so that in 2018 Kvartal 95 officially registered Servant of the People as a political party in Ukraine.

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Presidential candidate -

On December 31, 2018, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his candidacy for the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election, running against the incumbent, President Petro Poroshenko.

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League of Laughter -

Zelenskyy's campaign strategy was unorthodox. He continued to appear in comedy shows such as his 'Liga Smeha' ("League of Laughter") program in between attending debates and press conferences.

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Zelenskyy and Poroshenko meet -

The presidential hopeful finally met his opponent for a debate at Kyiv's Olympiysky Stadium on April 4, 2019, just two days before the second round of polling, Zelenskyy having won over 30% of the vote in the first round of the election race.

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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy -

On April 12, Zelenskyy was elected president, having won the election with 73.2% of the vote. He's pictured on May 20 taking the Oath of Office, during which he spoke Russian and Ukrainian to call for national unity.

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Eyes on the EU -

Zelenskyy promised to end Ukraine's protracted conflict with Russia as part of his presidential campaign, and early on attempted to engage in dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin. At the same time, however, he was making overtures towards the European Union. He's seen arriving at the European Commission in Brussels on June 4, 2019 during his first official engagement as president in a bid to strengthen ties with western Europe.

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Global outlook -

In November 2019, President Zelenskyy hosted the Kyiv International Economic Forum (KIEF)—a leading international platform that analyzes and discusses the prospects for the development of the Ukrainian and global economy, business, entrepreneurship, and the subsequent impact on politics and society.

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Unease at the Élysée -

Russia's President Putin and Ukraine's President Zelenskyy pass— and shun—each other as they both attend a Normandy Four summit at the Élysée Palace on December 9, 2019. The talks involved representatives of Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia, who met to discuss settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

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Eyeing up the opposition -

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy casts a wary eye over Russia's President Vladimir Putin as the pair, together with the then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron attend a press conference after the summit on Ukraine at the Élysée Palace. The aim was for new withdrawal of forces from Ukraine conflict zones by March 2020. The talks faltered, and were the last time the Russian and Ukrainian leaders met before Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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An audience with the pope -

An early 2020 official engagement saw President Zelenskyy and the First Lady travel to Rome for an audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican. On February 27, 2022, in the wake of the invasion, the pontiff pleaded for peace, saying, "Those who make war forget humanity." In an indirect plea to Vladimir Putin, he called for "humanitarian corridors" to be open to Ukrainian civilians seeking refuge.

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Exercise Rapid Trident -

In September of 2020, the Ukrainian leader attended the opening of Exercise Rapid Trident 2020 at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center (IPSC) near Yavoriv, in western Ukraine. Exercise Rapid Trident 2020 was a Ukraine-hosted, US Army-led exercise that involved approximately 4,100 service members from 10 allied and partner nations. It took place in the Lviv region of Ukraine.

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Meeting with royalty -

The following month President Zelenskyy and his wife traveled to Britain where he met the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace. It was part of an official two-day visit to the United Kingdom.

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UK engagement -

The engagement also included a one-to-one with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street, where the two leaders signed a strategic partnership deal in response to Russia's "destabilizing behavior" towards the country.

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Crimean Platform -

By the summer of 2021, President Zelenskyy was still attempting to secure a diplomatic solution to the deepening crisis in eastern Ukraine. He outlined his plans in Kyiv in August at the summit of the Crimean Platform—a diplomatic initiative designed to work as an international coordination mechanism to restore Russia–Ukraine relations by means of reversing the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. The enterprise fell on deaf ears.

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Addressing the United Nations -

President Zelenskyy took to the floor of the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2021 in New York City. During his address, the Ukrainian leader called on the member nations to revitalize the UN and criticized the organization's approach to handling global crises. He also emphasized the price that Ukraine was paying for Russia's aggression. On March 2, 2022, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to reprimand Russia for invading Ukraine. While the resolution, supported by 141 of the assembly's 193 members, is not legally binding, it represents a symbolic victory for Ukraine and increased Moscow's international isolation.

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War footing -

On December 6, 2021, President Zelenskyy, dressed in military fatigues, visited front line Ukrainian troops in Donetsk.

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Next door to NATO -

With Putin's threats to invade Ukraine now very real, President Zelenskyy met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the European Union headquarters in Brussels on December 16, 2021, where concerns were raised about the Russian leader's intentions.

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Preparing for conflict -

Five days later, he addressed the nation after Russia's decision to recognize the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent states.

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Ukraine attacked -

On February 24 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, though Moscow referred to the action as a "special military operation."

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Announcing the invasion -

The following day, President Zelenskyy, now dressed in khaki and unshaven, held a press conference in Kyiv, announcing on television that Russia had invaded the country.

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Applying for EU membership -

Four days after the Russian leader ordered his troops into Ukraine, President Zelenskyy signed the country's application for membership in the European Union. He's pictured with the historic document flanked by Ukraine Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal (right) and parliament chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk.

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Applauded by Europe, and the world -

President Zelenskyy is seen on a TV screen during a March 1, 2022 plenary session of the European parliament in Brussels on the invasion of Ukraine and a vote on a motion for a resolution on Russian aggression against Ukraine. The EU Parliament momentarily halted proceedings to offer collective applause for the beleaguered Zelenskyy and his people.

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Strengthening ties with the US -

Ten months after the devastating war in Ukraine began, President Zelenskyy took his first trip out of the country to visit the US and meet with former President Joe Biden. News of his trip was only made public after he had already left for Washington D.C., likely due to security risks. "On my way to the US to strengthen resilience and defense capabilities of Ukraine," he wrote on Twitter on Dec. 21 2022. Zelenskyy's every move is likely to be historic given the grave times we're living in. 

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Heightened tensions -

Tensions between the US and President Zelenskyy have escalated since President Donald Trump took office, as he intensified his attacks on the wartime leader. Trump has labeled Zelenskyy a “dictator” and even suggested that Ukraine, not Russia, was responsible for starting the war. These accusations come as Washington engages in high-level negotiations with Russia, without Ukraine at the table, raising concerns about Kyiv’s diminishing influence over discussions that directly impact its future.

Sources: (GeoHistory) (European Council) (National Catholic Reporter) (DVIDS) (Reuters) (Ukraine Crisis Media Center) (NPR) 

See also: Who is Vladimir Putin, really?  

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