Today is the second day of Russia’s military operation against Ukraine. Russian forces have captured an airport near the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. On the other hand, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says that he is the number one target of enemies but he is not going anywhere. “We are not the ones who started this war. But we have to end it.” Volodymyr Zelensky’s words from his inaugural speech after becoming the President of Ukraine in 2019 are in the news amid Russia’s invasion. Volodymyr Zelensky, who rose from actor and comedian to President of Ukraine, then promised a ceasefire in the Donbass.
Volodymyr Zelensky was once a superhit comedian of Ukrainian television. Zelensky had no experience in politics until he became president. Zelensky had played a president on television, but had no prior political experience in real life. Apart from her roles in at least 6 films such as ‘Love in the Big City’ and ‘8 First Dates’ and appearing on the 1+1 television channel, her most popular performance became her last appearance. The show features a high school teacher who unexpectedly becomes the country’s president.
The year 2014 was very important for Zelensky as well as Ukraine. The same year the Ukrainian people revolted and ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich. A year later, the political satire ‘Servant of the People’ made Volodymyr Zelensky’s name more famous. In this satire, Zelensky played a man named Vasily Goloborodko. In this show, he played the character of President, which was well-liked by the people.
Like this character, Zelensky’s campaign, which aimed to reach young voters through social media with minimal media presence, focused on eliminating corruption. Although Zelensky avoided rallies and interviews, he continued to appear on TV and his speeches on YouTube and Instagram fueled growing calls for change in the country.
Zelensky decided to take a political step in 2019. Zelensky challenged the then President Petro Poroshenko in the presidential election. In the opinion polls, he appeared to be overshadowing his opponent. In the end he won the election with 73% of the vote and became the President of Ukraine.