Volodymyr Zelenski is the son of a Jewish family in southeast Ukraine. They spoke Russian among themselves, and his father at that time opposed the young Volodymyr’s studying in Israel. Instead, Zelenski studied law in his home country. After graduating, he became a star in movies and comedy series. In the 2010s, he became the leading actor of the popular TV series “Servant of the People”.
The show was about a beloved high school teacher accidentally becoming president in a country fed up with corrupt politicians.
THE SERIES WAS REAL
A few years later, the series became reality, moreover, the lead actor was indeed elected president. The position of Zelensky, who made the transition from former comedian to statesman, was unclear for several weeks before the invasion of Russia. One day he accused the West of inciting fears, the next he accused the West of not doing enough.
However, Zelensky, who refused to leave the capital under the threat of an approaching bombardment, turned into a folk hero “accidentally” from the presidency he came to “accidentally”.
REFUSES TO LEFT KIEV
Zelenxi, who did not lose her courage, sense of humor and delicacy, managed to gather her people around her and surprised Western leaders at the same time. 44 years old with dark hair, 170 cm. Despite saying he and his family were the target of Russian invaders, this former actor refused to leave the capital, Kiev.
The Ukrainian president said they needed “ammunition, not rescue,” despite the United States’ assurances to evacuate him safely, according to the statements of a senior American intelligence official with direct knowledge of a meeting with Zelensky.
The siege of Kiev by the Russian forces has entered its 4th day. Military observers believe that the Russian army is planning to overthrow Zelensky and his government after reaching Kiev and replace it with a puppet government subordinate to President Vladimir Putin.
Zelensky, who was elected president in 2019, actually thought he might be the most suitable person to seek a compromise with Moscow, and he made this his political target. Five years before he took office, Russia had invaded Crimea and started uprisings in two regions using pro-Moscow militias. These conflicts, which started in 2014, have claimed the lives of an estimated 15,000 people so far.
DID NOT REACH WITH PUTIN
Zelensky somehow succeeded in exchanging prisoners with Russia, but was unable to come to terms with Putin, who wanted Ukraine to break away from the West. As Putin persisted in his demands, he created the perception of a “Washington-backed government in which neo-Nazis are nesting” about the administration under the Jewish president in Kiev. Citing his own family background, Zelenski argued that Ukraine is “a land of opportunity, contrary to what Putin’s hateful policies reflect”.
Ukraine has a remarkable history of antisemitism. Jews were subjected to pogroms by Kazakh fighters that began in the late 19th century, and during the Second World War, some anti-Soviet nationalists gave firsthand support to the Nazi genocide. As of 2019, however, Ukraine was the only country in the world, apart from Israel, to have a Jewish president and prime minister. Zelensky’s grandfather fought in the Soviet army against the Nazis, and most of his family members were destroyed in the genocide.
THE PROMISE OF ANTI-CORRUPTION
Just like what happened to the protagonist of the series, Zelenski was overwhelmingly elected president, defeating the country’s billionaire businessman producer president in the elections. The name of the political party he founded was “People’s Servant”, just like in the TV series. He promised to break the power of the corrupt oligarchs who took advantage of the power vacuum in the country after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
It is possible that this newly rich man, who carries out his campaign on social media, was suddenly elected to the highest office of the country out of nowhere, and this may have disturbed Putin, who managed to suppress his political opponents in his own country.
SIMILARITY WITH NAVALNY
Aleksey Navalny, one of Putin’s fiercest political opponents, is also a humorist and anti-corruption fighter. But Navalny’s fate first changed in 2020, when a poison mixed into his underwear. After heavy diplomatic pressure, Moscow had to let Navalny go to Germany for treatment. Treatment in Germany saved Navalny’s life, but the Russian opposition leader decided to return to his country despite what he had been through. He has been in jail ever since. He announced that he was against the operation in Ukraine from prison.
While Navalny and Zelenski hold similar perspectives, both seem ready to pay the price for their beliefs.
On his return, Polish President Andrzej Duda, who paid a support visit to Kiev last week, said that he was disturbed by the “feeling that he will not be able to meet again with his counterpart who has decided to stay in his country”. In the last month, Zelenski and many leaders, including US Vice President Kamala Harris and President Erdogan, met in Kiev.
IN THE MEMORY THAT HE WAS LOOKED WITH TRUMP
Zelenski’s first notable debut in the US public was the phone call he had with former President Donald Trump. In a phone call that took place in 2019, Trump forced Ukraine’s naive president to provide dirty information about his then-US election political rival, Joe Biden, and his son Hunter, otherwise he threatened not to provide $400 million in military aid to Ukraine. Trump’s phone call, which he described as “excellent”, later resulted in impeachment by the US House of Representatives for the former president’s abuse of office for political purposes.
Although Zelenski did not express any regrets about this phone call, he only said that he did not want to interfere in the domestic politics of another country.
Putin launched the attack on Ukraine, which he described as a “special military operation”, towards the morning of last Thursday. The Russian president has for months denied allegations of invasion intentions, accusing Joe Biden of inciting war, who uncovered Russian and Belarusian troops and weapons shipped to the Ukrainian border.
According to the Russian president, the aim of the operation was to “prevent a genocide” in two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine. While this was the portrait of the Russian media about his country, Ukrainian President Zelensky addressed the Russian people and argued that he did not engage in aggression and warmongering as alleged.
Zelenski appeared in his latest videos in an olive green t-shirt and khaki jacket and said he’s not going anywhere but will stay to defend Ukraine.
Before the start of the Russian invasion, the President of Ukraine criticized President Joe Biden, who shared detailed intelligence reports on Putin’s intentions, arguing that this information was premature and could cause panic. However, after the Russian invasion began, Zelensky this time accused Washington of not doing its best to protect Ukraine, not providing military support for its defense and not speeding up its application for NATO membership.
Volodymyr Zelenski announced that his architect wife Olena, 17-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son stayed in Ukraine this week. Currently, only women, children and old men are allowed to leave Ukraine. Men aged 18-60 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine as general mobilization has been declared.