Despite this, Zelenskyy highlighted that the day would "honor heroes" on Independence Day, however the "format will be new". [99][100], In January 2021, parliament passed a bill updating and reforming Ukraine's referendum laws,[101] which Ukraine's Constitutional Court had declared unconstitutional in 2018. whitehouse.gov. First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine is a government post of the Cabinet of Ukraine. [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. Vitold Fokin was approved as the first Prime Minister of Ukraine . Burisma hired Hunter Biden to serve as a board member in 2014 when his vice president father was leading the Obama administration's Ukraine policy and paid him up to $1 million per year, despite . His first role in the Ukrainian language was the romantic comedy I, You, He, She,[46] which appeared on the screens of Ukraine in December 2018. I don't bite. [78] French president Emmanuel Macron received Zelenskyy at the lyse Palace in Paris on 12 April 2019. [193] Zelenskyy said he is ready for dialogue, but "not for capitulation". The first appears when there are video cameras, the other Petro sends Medvedchuk privietiki (greetings) to Moscow". [249] Zelenskyy's election manifesto mentioned tariffs only oncethat money raised from a capital amnesty would go towards "lowering the tariff burden on low-income citizens". [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. [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. [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). [34] Zelenskyy helped fund a volunteer battalion fighting on Donbas. [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. 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. 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. [134], On 8 January 2020, the Presidential Office announced that Volodymyr Zelenskyy was cutting his trip to Oman short owing to the Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 plane crash in nearby Iran the same day. "[258], In February 2022, he applied for Ukraine to join the European Union. [70][71][72] In his introductory speech, Zelenskyy acknowledged that in 2014 he voted for Poroshenko, but "I was mistaken. 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. [243] He also said that Putin is aware that the "world will never forgive" a Russian nuclear strike. [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. We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war We will find every scum who was shelling our cities, our people, who was shooting the missiles, who was giving orders. [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. On 7 March 2022, Czech president Milo Zeman decided to award Zelenskyy with the highest state award of the Czech Republic, the Order of the White Lion, for "his bravery and courage in the face of Russia's invasion". The government of Ukraine understands and is conscious that the money is given only to those countries that actually overcome and fight corruption. [124] The deal was met with heavy criticism and protests by both politicians and the Ukrainian public. 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. Parliament also confirmed Andrii Zahorodniuk as defence minister, Vadym Prystaiko as foreign minister and Ivan Bakanov as head of the SBU. Please not that all time are approximate and are subject to change. [132] In July 2020, Zelenskyy announced a formal ceasefire with the separatists the more than twentieth such attempt since the war began in 2014. [119] Honchurak's hasty departure caused disquiet both in Ukraine and abroad, with many economists and political observers warning it would bring instability. [111][112] Zelenskyy also dismissed and replaced 20 of the governors of Ukraine's 24 oblasts. [106] Under the rules of Lustration in Ukraine, introduced in 2014 following Euromaidan, Bohdan is not entitled to hold any state office until 2024 (because of his government post during the Second Azarov Government). Donald Trump. [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. [54] His announcement up-staged the New Year's Eve address of incumbent president Petro Poroshenko on the same channel,[54] which Zelenskyy said was unintentional and attributed to a technical glitch. [280], On 2 December 2022, Zelenskyy entered a bill to the Verkhovna Rada that would officially ban all activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) UOC in Ukraine. Leave our land. As early as October 2018, three months before his campaign announcement and six months before the presidential election, he was already a frontrunner in opinion polls. ", "Leaders of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia to visit Kyiv on Tuesday", "A Zelensky Deepfake Was Quickly Defeated. 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. [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. [183][184] Harvard Political Review said that Zelenskyy "has harnessed the power of social media to become history's first truly online wartime leader, bypassing traditional gatekeepers as he uses the internet to reach out to the people. Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor . [83] Various foreign officials attended the ceremony in Ukraine's parliament (Verkhovna Rada), including Salome Zourabichvili (Georgia), Kersti Kaljulaid (Estonia), Raimonds Vjonis (Latvia), Dalia Grybauskait (Lithuania), Jnos der (Hungary), Maro efovi (European Union), and Rick Perry (United States). '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? 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. Men, women, the elderly, children, fathers, and most importantly, mothers. If you don't want to leave now, sit down with me at the negotiating table. 28 October 2021 - 22:17 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Vice-President,Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis. We voted for one Poroshenko, but received another. But we have a right to urge a transformation from an appeasement policy to one that ensures security and peace," he stated.[168]. Now he's standing up to Putin's army", ": , , , , ", " ()", "How funny is the comedian who may be Ukraine's next president? [103] The bill was passed into law in September 2021. Mr. Vice President, we value the level of technical assistance that is provided by the government of the United States. [19] He recorded the voice of Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian dubbing of Paddington (2014) and Paddington 2 (2017). Regular people. [80][81] European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk also issued a joint letter of congratulations and stated that the European Union (EU) will work to speed up the implementation of the remainder of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. [105], Zelenskyy appointed Andriy Bohdan as head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. "[271], On 25 May 2022, Zelenskyy said that "Ukraine will fight until it regains all its territories. [196] On 8 March, Zelenskyy expressed willingness to discuss Putin's demands. [19] The family lives in Kyiv. ", "Ukraine-Russia crisis: Ceasefire violations rise at contact line", "OSCE in Donbas reports 55% less ceasefire violations in 2020", " , ", " , , ", " " " ", " , ", Prystaiko about the visit of Zelensky to Oman: When time comes we will explain ( : ), "Zelensky to meet EU officials on first foreign visit", "Ukrainian president to resume exhumation of Poles in Ukraine: report", "Biden Faces Conflict of Interest Questions That Are Being Promoted by Trump and Allies", "The Biden family's strange business history", "Ukrainian President Denies President Trump Pressured Him", "Biden, Zelensky Discuss Energy, Russia, Ukraine's Future With the West", "President Zelensky, First Lady open Ukrainian House in Washington", "Zelensky arrives to Washington to meet Blinken, Granholm, Biden", "Zelensky to meet with Apple CEO in California on Sept 2, visit Silicon Valley, speak at Stanford University", "In California, Zelensky meets with Ukrainians working at Silicon Valley companies", "Zelensky at Stanford: 'Russia's policy is to take, not give', Top Adviser to Ukrainian President Is Targeted in an Assassination Attempt, "Ukraine's Zelensky on frontline as Merkel urges Putin to pull back troops", "Zelensky warns Ukraine 'entirely prepared' if Russia attacks", "Zelenskiy says Ukraine uncovers coup plot involving Russians; Kremlin denies role", "Ukraine's Zelenskiy Says Ready for Russian Escalation, Claims Coup Plot Uncovered", "EU threatens Russia sanctions as NATO backs Ukraine", "Some Ukrainians Are Angry About Washington Ordering Diplomats' Families To Leave The US Embassy", "Volodymyr Zelensky accuses the West of causing 'panic' with warnings of a Russian invasion that hurts the Ukrainian economy", "Ukraine to the world: keep calm and stop spreading panic", "Ukraine crisis: US president Joe Biden tells Zelensky to 'prepare' for Russian invasion", "Ukraine's president told Biden to 'calm down' Russian invasion warnings, saying he was creating unwanted panic: report", "Ukraine is 'longing for peace' says Zelensky at Munich Security Conference", "Full Translation: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Feb. 23 Speech", "Volodymyr Zelensky's appeal to Russians: 'The people of Ukraine want peace', "London Playbook: BREAKING: Putin declares war Bombs Kyiv Blasts rock major cities", "Ukraine conflict: Russian forces attack from three sides", " ", "Ukrainian president signs decree on general mobilisation of population -Interfax", "Ukraine president orders full military mobilisation", "Putin Unbowed as Russia Presses Ahead With Invasion Toward Kyiv", "U.S. stands ready to evacuate Zelensky, Russia's 'No. He said this on the air of the American TV channel Fox News. "I looked at them and said, 'I'm leaving in six hours,'" Biden told the crowd, taking a long look at his watch for effect . [172] Zelenskyy also announced that diplomatic relations with Russia were being severed, effective immediately. [242], On 25 September 2022, Zelenskyy said that Putins threats to use nuclear weapons "could be a reality." The Next One Might Not Be", "Deepfake video shows Zelenskyy's false call for Ukraine to surrender", "Zelensky tells European Parliament "nobody is going to break us" in emotional appeal", "Ukraine's Zelenskyy tells EU: 'Prove you are with us', "Zelensky echoes Churchill in historic address to U.K. Parliament", "Ukrainian President Zelensky to address Canadian Parliament on Tuesday", "Volodymyr Zelenskyy asks for Australian Bushmaster armoured vehicles in address to federal parliament", "Zelensky to US lawmakers: 'We need you right now' as he invokes Pearl Harbor and 9/11", "Zelensky criticizes Israel's response to Russian war in speech to lawmakers", "Zelenskyy calls on Italy to stop Russian oligarchs from using the country as a 'resort for murderers', "Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to address Japanese parliament", "Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to address Dutch parliament", "Volodimir Zelenski va vorbi n Parlamentul Romniei", "Zelensky to address Swedish, Danish parliaments", "Ukraine's ambassador to Norway says that Zelenskyy is ready to speak to the Storting", "President Niinist spoke with the President of Ukraine Zelensky", "Zelenskyy told Russian people to leave Russia if they could to deprive Putin of tax money for the war", "Ukraine suspends 11 political parties with links to Russia", "Zelensky says Ukrainian political parties linked to Russia to be banned", "Ukraine Suspends Political Parties With Russian Links", "Ukraine bans Communist party for 'promoting separatism', "Zelenskyy has consolidated Ukraine's TV outlets and dissolved rival political parties", "German President Is Told He Isn't Welcome in Ukraine", "Zelenskyy: up to Ukrainian 100 soldiers killed each day in eastern Ukraine", "Nearly 100 Ukraine Servicemen Could Die Every Day in East Region: Zelensky", "Ukrainian Males Aged 18 to 60 Are Now Banned from Leaving the Country", "Ukrainian casualties: Kyiv losing up to 200 troops a day - Zelensky aide", "Zelenskyy slams Henry Kissinger for emerging 'from the deep past' to suggest Ukraine cede territory to Russia", "Zelenskyy rejects Kissinger plan to concede territory to Russia; Ukraine hero alive, in Russian custody: Live updates", "Ukraine: Zelenskyy rules out 'military means' to regain all lost territory as it happened", "Volodymyr Zelenksy criticises Turkey for move to defy Nato sanctions with Russian tourism boost", "Zelensky: Ukraine is fine with China's position on war with Russia", "Zelenskyy urges China's Xi to help end Russia's war in Ukraine", "EU leaders agree to Russian oil ban after compromise with Hungary", "EU agrees on partial oil ban after Zelensky's call for unity", "Volodymyr Zelensky seeks African Union support", "Mercosur trade bloc denies Zelensky request to address summit", "Zelenskyy to Russians: Defy 'criminal mobilization', "Ukraine applies for Nato membership after Russia annexes territory", "Zelenskyy on Putin's threat of nuclear weapons: 'I don't think he's bluffing', "Zelensky says Putin wouldn't survive nuclear strike on Ukraine", "Zelensky in Washington: Ukraine's leader heads to US for first foreign trip", "US to send Patriot system to Ukraine in new $1.85 billion package", Zelensky stated that he did not promise to lower tariffs, " ", "Zelensky about eurointegration: referendum is needed", "What a Volodymyr Zelensky Ukrainian Presidency Would Look Like", Zelensky, Poroshenko, Tymoshenko and Gritsenko told how to move to NATO, From the EU to nuclear weapons: foreign policy Zelensky, Poroshenko, Tymoshenko and Gritsenko, "Ukraine supports Azerbaijan's territorial integrity", "Ukraine wants to join the EU. [82], Zelenskyy was inaugurated on 20 May 2019. Kyiv, Ukraine. [259][260], Zelenskyy has tried to position Ukraine as a neutral party in the political and trade tensions between the United States and China. [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. [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. [22][23][24] His grandfather, Semyon (Simon) Ivanovych Zelenskyy, served as an infantryman, reaching the rank of colonel in the Red Army (in the 57th Guards Motor Rifle Division) during World War II;[25][26] Semyon's father and three brothers were killed in the Holocaust. [124] On 3 June, Zelenskyy appointed former president Leonid Kuchma as Ukraine's representative in the Tripartite Contact Group for a settlement in the conflict. Ukraine's vice prime minister called on SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk to help the embattled nation with communication satellites on Saturday, as they faced a third day of assaults from Russia .. Zelenskyy's strategy during the Russian military buildup was to calm the Ukrainian populace and assure the international community that Ukraine was not seeking to retaliate. 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. [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. [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". VICE . [217][218][219], On March 23, Zelenskyy was calling on Russians to emigrate from Russia so as not to finance the war in Ukraine with their taxes. [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. [27][28][29][30] In March 2022, Zelenskyy said that his great-grandparents had been killed after German troops burned their home to the ground during a massacre. ][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. [221][222][223] The Communist Party of Ukraine, another pro-Russia party, had already been banned in 2015 because of its support to the Donbas separatists. The original photo was taken during a rehearsal for a military parade in Kyiv. You will not have a quiet place on this earth except for a grave. "[117], Zelenskyy dismissed Bohdan as head of his presidential administration on 11 February 2020 and appointed Andriy Yermak as his successor the same day. [267] He did not rule out holding a referendum on the issue. The position of vice president also exists in the executive structure of many other governments and businesses. According to Zelenskyy, since the beginning of the invasion, Chinese President Xi Jinping had refused to speak with him. [155] While Zelenskyy was still in the U.S., just after delivering a speech at the United Nations, an assassination attempt was made in Ukraine on Serhiy Shefir, his closest aide. [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. Prior to this, Bohdan had been the lawyer of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi. [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. [89][90] In June 2019 it was announced that the president's third major initiative, which seeks to remove immunity from lawmakers, diplomats and judges, would be submitted after the July 2019 Ukrainian parliamentary election. Zelenskyy said: "We support Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty just as Azerbaijan always supports our territorial integrity and sovereignty. I would very much like to answer this question. Nausda wyrni ukraiskiego odpowiednika", "Prezydent Ukrainy W. Zeeski odznaczony Nagrod Ora Jana Karskiego", "UK's Johnson gives Churchill award to Ukraine's Zelenskyy", "Zelenskyy wins Ronald Reagan Freedom Award", "Zelenskyy gets John F. Kennedy award for defending democracy", "Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi gen. et sp. [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". 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. [19] Zelenskyy also played the leading role in the 2012 film 8 First Dates and in sequels which were produced in 2015 and 2016. [265], In an interview in December 2018, Zelenskyy stated that as president he would try to end the ongoing war in Donbas by negotiating with Russia. 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. Detractors noted that elections held in Donbas were unlikely to be free and fair, that the separatists had long driven out most pro-Ukrainian residents out of the region to ensure a pro-Russia majority, and that it would be impossible to ensure Russia kept its end of the agreement. [278][279] Civil rights organizations praised the statement, though criticizing its vagueness, as Zelenskyy eschewed details about legal proposals for civil partnerships. 17 February 2023. [145], In August 2019, Zelenskyy promised to lift the moratorium on exhuming Polish mass graves in Ukraine after the previous Ukrainian government banned the Polish side from carrying out any exhumations of Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army-perpetrated Volhynian massacres, following the removal of a memorial to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Hruszowice, southeastern Poland. [229] In early June 2022, Zelenskyy's adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat every day. [40] In 2018, the romantic comedy Love in the Big City 2 starring Zelenskyy was banned in Ukraine.[why? "The vice president's visit is meant to send a signal of reassurance and unity on the part of the United States to these Eastern NATO allies," said Olga Oliker, the Brussels-based Europe and . He made the comment after he was asked about an online petition calling to lift a prohibition on Ukrainian men leaving Ukraine. ", "The courage of Ukraine's unlikely wartime leader", " " " - ", " ()", " : , ", " - ", "ethnic Ukrainian father's farer's medal certificate", "Jewish comic who plays Ukraine president on TV leads Ukraine's presidential race", "Ukraine's Newly Elected President Is Jewish. Vice President Kamala Harris stressed on Saturday that Russia must be held to account for its "barbaric" actions in Ukraine, telling a security conference in Munich that the United States had. Who does not want this more than anyone? In 1953, the Biden family moved from Pennsylvania to Claymont, Delaware. Out of 2,028 CPAC attendees who voted, Trump received 62 percent of the vote. We will not forgive. [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. As we have reported more than once last year, Biden traveled to Kyiv as vice president and warned Ukraine's then-president, Petro Poroshenko, that the U.S. would withhold $1 billion in loan. Thank you for the principled defense and political support, for the clear understanding that the aggressor cannot be given a single chance. By AAMER MADHANI and MATTHEW LEE February 18, 2022. 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 . [130][131] Ultimately, the peace deal failed to reduce the violence, much less end the war. [19], In 2008, he starred in the feature film Love in the Big City, and its sequel, Love in the Big City 2. Ambassador William B. Taylor is vice president, Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace. [38], Zelenskyy was a member of the board and the general producer of the TV channel Inter from 2010 to 2012. [60][61] He styled himself as an anti-establishment, anti-corruption figure, although he was not generally described as a populist. (Laughter.) 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. 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 . 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. Blinken also commented on Vice President Kamala Harris's announcement in Munich that the U.S. had formally determined that Russia has committed crimes against humanity in Ukraine. We don't have any firearms. [246][247] He met with President Joe Biden and addressed Congress delivering his full speech in English. Our Time in 2011 and with Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon in 2012. [49] Around the time of his 2019 election, Zelenskyy handed his shares in a key offshore company over to Sergei Shefir, but the two men appear to have made an arrangement for Zelenskyy's family to continue receiving the money from these companies. [49], In March 2018, members of Zelenskyy's production company Kvartal 95 registered a new political party called Servant of the People the same name as the television program that Zelenskyy had starred in over the previous three years. [79] On 22 April, U.S. president Donald Trump congratulated Zelenskyy on his victory over the telephone. Vitaliy. [110] Zelenskyy's requests to replace the foreign minister, defence minister, chief prosecutor and head of Ukraine's security service were rejected by parliament. "[123], One of Zelenskyy's central campaign promises had been to end the Russo-Ukrainian War and resolve the Russia-sponsored separatist movement there. Public figures, journalists, musicians, actors, athletes, scientists, doctors, bloggers, stand-up comedians, Tik-Tokers and many more. [53][51] After months of ambiguous statements,[52][51] on 31 December, less than four months from the election, Zelenskyy announced his candidacy for president of Ukraine on the New Year's Eve evening show on the TV channel 1+1.