Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy

[pieter]

Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Europe’s most vulnerable president?


Ukraine’s president finds himself the number one target of the Russian army as Moscow reportedly seeks regime change.



Zelenskyy came to power in 2019 as a political novice [File: Johanna Geron/Pool via EPA]

By Al Jazeera Staff

25 Feb 2022

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to power in 2019, taking charge of the war-torn, corruption-plagued country of about 45 million without any prior political experience.

The political novice and former sitcom actor and comedian, who was dismissed by critics as a puppet of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, won his presidency by securing more than 73 percent of ballots, promising to balance the defence of Ukraine from Russian aggression with protecting the Russian speakers of his country.


Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. During Volodymyr Zelenskyy's presidential campaign, concerns were raised over Zelenskyy's links to the oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi.


President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and billionaire oligarch Igor Kolomoisky

Born in the predominantly Russian-speaking industrial city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, the father of two was seen as best placed to succeed in his mission and shortly after becoming president, used diplomacy to get Moscow to exchange several groups of Ukrainian prisoners of war.

But the goodwill of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was not to last, as Zelenskyy did not change his country’s pro-Western foreign policy in favour of closer ties to its former master, Moscow.



Last year, Russia started amassing its troops near Ukraine’s borders with a pretext of holding military exercises.

Despite warnings by the United States of the Russian plan to invade Ukraine, Zelenskyy tried to keep calm in the country, calling on Ukrainians to avoid panic.

However, he shuttled around the capitals of Europe, trying to secure diplomatic, military and financial support for Ukraine to deter Moscow from invading.

On Thursday, February 24, Zelenskyy became Europe’s most vulnerable president, as Russia launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine by land, air and sea.

‘A regime change’

Fabrice Pothier, a chief strategy officer at the political consultancy Rasmussen Global and former director of policy planning at NATO, told Al Jazeera from Santander, Spain that Putin’s aim was “political capitulation” – “a regime change” in Ukraine.

“It is pretty clear that he wants a regime change and the regime should be – in his view – sympathetic to Russia’s interest, turning down the NATO and the EU membership path, claiming some kind of neutrality or a Finland position,” he said, referring to Finland’s historic decision to associate with Europe, but avoid hostility towards Russia by not joining NATO.

Zelenskyy also identified himself as “target number one” of Russia, but he and his family remained in Ukraine.

“They want to destroy Ukraine politically by taking down the head of state,” the president said.

The 44 year old also criticised Ukraine’s allies for not coming to his country’s defence physically, limiting themselves with verbal, financial and diplomatic support.

“We have been left alone to defend our state,” he said in a video address to the nation after midnight. “Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid.”

Social media users have recognised his vulnerability, by dubbing him “a lonely but honourable man”.

[Jaga]

Pieter, I was also looking at Zelensky's biography. He does not have a military experience, although he was showing as helpig ukrainian tropps in the trenches on the Russia border before. He is educated as a lawyer but decided to act instead. He is also of Jewish origin and his parents are highly educated.
he did not expect that he may be a martyr/hero, he probably does not like to fight, but he has to now.

[pieter]

Jaga,

I like Volodymyr Zelenskyy a lot, I have great sympathy for him and his cause. That Zelenskyy obtained a degree in law from the Kyiv National Economic University is an asset. Identifying as a populist, he positioned himself as an anti-establishment, anti-corruption figure. I think he is a good Ukrainian Populist. Populism is often labeled as negative, but Populisn is just a political approach that strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups. Populism becomes bad in my opinion if it is connected to reactionary, Ultra conservative, Fundamentalist, Sectarian, Despotic, Totalitarian and Authoritarian, Ultra Nationalist and State Socialist causes. But some Centric Big tent Populism or Democratic Populism, Liberal Populism or conservative Populism isn't bad in my perspective.



Zelenskyy's political party Servant of the People (Ukrainian: Слуга народу, romanized: Sluha Narodu, SN) is a centrist political party in Ukraine. It's political position is in the center in between the moderate Ukrainian Center Left and Center Right. Thus very moderate. It's ideology is Ideology is a combination of a Catch-all party (a political party's policy of permitting or encouraging a broad spectrum of views among its members), Populism (a range of political stances that emphasize the idea of "the people" and often juxtapose this group against "the elite."), Direct democracy (a form of democracy in which the electorate decides on policy initiatives without legislative representatives as proxies), Anti-corruption (anti-corruption legislation of the Zelenskyy adminstration), Libertarianism (a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value), Social liberalism (a political philosophy and variety of liberalism that endorses a social market economy within an individualist economy and the expansion of civil and political rights) and Pro-Europeanism (Zelenskyy wants to make Ukraine a member of the EU and NATO).


Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Czechia

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a Pro-Western, Pro-EU, Pro-NATO, liberal, centrist, Democratic and honest politician and that's why I like him. And I like comedians and sense of humor as well. I have difficulties with people without a sense of humor. The fact that Zelenskyy worked mostly in Russian language productions is very positive, because in that way he understands the Russian mindset and can get along with Russian Ukrainians, Russians from Russia, Russian minorities in surrounding countries and Russian speaking Ukrainians and Russians in Ukraine. I like the fact that Zelenskyy 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" I really like that.

My only concern and criticism is over his links to the oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi.

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine



On the morning of 24 February, Putin announced that Russia was initiating a "special military operation" in the Donbas. Russian missiles struck a number of military targets in Ukraine, and Zelenskyy declared martial law. Zelenskyy also announced that diplomatic relations with Russia were being severed, effective immediately. Later in the day, he announced general mobilisation.

On 25 February, Zelenskyy said that despite Russia's claim that it was only targeting military sites, civilian sites were also being hit. In an early morning address on Friday, 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. "They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state" he said.

In the early hours of 26 February, during the most significant assault by Russian troops on the capital of Kyiv, the United States government urged Zelenskyy to evacuate to a safer location, and said it stood ready to assist him in such an effort. Zelenskyy turned down the offer and opted to remain in Kyiv with its defense forces, saying that "the fight is here [in Kyiv]; I need ammunition, not a ride".



Cheers,
Pieter

[pieter]

[pieter]

[pieter]