Who is Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky?
UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelensky is at the forefront of Ukraine's military and diplomatic response to Russia's invasion of the country.
He has been president since 2019, following a successful career as a comedian - here's everything to know about him.
Who is Volodymyr Zelensky?
In a case of life imitating art, Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, is best known for his role in the Ukrainian comedy series Servant of the People, about a teacher who accidentally becomes president.
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky was born to Jewish parents on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, in a predominantly Russian-speaking industrial city in southern Ukraine.
He is the first President of Ukraine from a Jewish background.
His father, Oleksandr Zelensky, is a professor and a doctor of technical sciences and head of the Department of Cybernetics and Computing Hardware at the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics.
His mother, Rymma Zelenska, used to work as an engineer.
His grandfather, Semyon Zelensky, served in the Red Army during World War II, while his father and three brothers were killed in the Holocaust.
MORE ABOUT THE WAR IN UKRAINE
Volodymyr Zelensky graduated with a law degree from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics, but he did not go on to work in the legal field, pursuing a career in entertainment instead.
Zelensky's political party, Servant of the People, was created in March 2018 by people from the TV production company Kvartal 95, the same one that created the political satire series with the same name as the party.
Like his character in the series, Zelensky has stood on an anti-corruption platform that has tapped into widespread dismay about rising prices and falling living standards.
Starting on December 31, 2018, he led a successful presidential campaign resulting in his appointment as President of Ukraine in 2019.
One of Zelensky's presidential campaign promises was that he would only serve one five-year term in office.
Initially, support for Zelensky was largely seen as a protest vote but his popularity grew as faith in the then-incumbent president Poroshenko floundered.
In a March 2019 interview with Der Spiegel, Zelensky stated he went into politics to restore trust in politicians and that he wanted "to bring professional, decent people to power" and "would really like to change the mood and timbre of the political establishment, as much as possible."
On December 7, 2022, Zelensky was named TIME's Person of the Year.
That Wednesday, the publication recognized him and "the spirit of Ukraine" for their perseverance during the Russian Invasion.
Was Volodymyr Zelensky a comedian before he was president?
Zelensky’s path to fame began when he entered a TV talent show aged 17 and then created a comedy outfit called Kvartal 95, which in 2003 began producing shows for a Ukrainian channel.
He became a household name after appearing on the country’s version of Dancing With The Stars in 2006 and began appearing in films in 2008.
Kvartal 95 started producing the political satire series Servant of the People in 2015.
In the series, Zelensky's character becomes famous for an anti-corruption rant that went viral on social media and becomes the President of Ukraine.
In the real-life presidential election, he ran under a political party with the same name as his show.
The funnyman is a fan of Britain’s Monty Python and Benny Hill and has an entertainment empire is estimated to be worth tens of millions.
What are his party's policies?
During his presidential campaign, Zelensky promised to root out corruption and also vowed to end the war with pro-Russian separatists.
At the same time, he faced accusations of having an unhealthily close working relationship with a powerful oligarch called Ihor Kolomoisky, whose TV channel broadcasts his comedy shows.
Zelensky has rejected those accusations.
He stated that as president, he would strive to develop the economy and attract investment to Ukraine through "a restart of the judicial system" and restoring confidence in the state.
The president also supports Ukraine becoming a member of the European Union and NATO, but has said Ukrainian voters should decide on the country's membership of these two organisations in a referendum.
Zelensky has backed the free distribution of medical cannabis, free legal abortion, and the legalisation of prostitution and gambling.
He opposes the legalisation of weapons.
In April 2021, in response to Russian military build-up at the Ukrainian borders, Zelensky spoke to American president Joe Biden and urged NATO members to speed up Ukraine's request for membership.
Is he married and does he have children?
Volodymyr Zelensky has been married to Ukrainian architect and screenwriter Olena Kiyashko since 2003.
They met at the school they both attended.
The couple's first daughter, Oleksandra, was born in July 2004.
Their second child, a son named Kyrylo, was born in January 2013.
In Zelensky's 2014 movie 8 New Dates, their daughter played Sasha, the daughter of the protagonist.