Here are 18 things you should know about the man who has captured the world's attention. Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky is the sixth president of Ukraine since May 20, 2019. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy voiced Paddington Bear in the country's version of the 2014 film and its 2017 sequel. [238], On 20 June 2022, Zelenskyy addressed African Union (AU) representatives via videoconference. [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. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Israeli Orthodox Jew raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for victims of settler riot, This Purim, a space for queer Jews to celebrate their identities and dance the night away. Russian missiles struck a number of military targets in Ukraine, and Zelenskyy declared martial law. [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. [64][59] During the campaign, concerns were raised over his links to the oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi,[65] a billionaire businessman who had gained control of the 1+1 Media Group in 2010. had a crash course on Volodymyr Zelensky in recent days, their spillover effects in American government, the interview appeared in the French newspaper Le Point, she posted on Instagram about the bravery of Ukrainian women, a 2018 interview with a friend from the entertainment industry, The Paddington books were inspired by Jewish children who took refuge in England during World War II, suggestion that appears to have gained steam is Jeremy Renner, suggest that he would not be an appropriate choice, Police, security agencies advise Jews to be on alert ahead of planned National Day of Hate on Shabbat, American citizen killed in latest West Bank shooting amid escalating violence, This Orthodox Jewish model made history at New York Fashion Week. In January 2021, Zelenskyy said in an interview with Axios that he does not perceive China as a geopolitical threat and that he does not agree with the United States assertions that it represents one. "[117], Zelenskyy dismissed Bohdan as head of his presidential administration on 11 February 2020 and appointed Andriy Yermak as his successor the same day. [32][25] At the age of 16 he passed the Test of English as a Foreign Language and received an education grant to study in Israel, but his father did not allow him to go. The adviser answered without hesitation: Yes., Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky flashes a peace sign during a workout in December 2021. If that was the case in Zelenskys family, he hasnt said so. Click to reveal Pic: Volodymyr Zelenskyy/Instagram The comedian who became a president In 2017, Mr Zelenskyy voiced a marmalade-loving bear in the Ukrainian dubbed version of Paddington 2. Oh, and he won the country's version of Dancing with the Stars in 2006. A video of now President Volodymyr Zelensky voicing Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian version of the film has gone viral on social media. Your IP: But the answer depends only on you, the citizens of the Russian Federation. [244] When asked what kind of relationship Ukrainians and Ukraine will have with Russia after the war, Zelenskyy replied that "They took too many people, too many lives. [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. [259][260], Zelenskyy has tried to position Ukraine as a neutral party in the political and trade tensions between the United States and China. I know that they will not show this appeal of mine on Russian television. Many British Paddington fans are only just realising that Ukraine 's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, was the voice of the beloved bear when the film was released in the country. ", "Ukraine adopts new and improved referendum law", "Ukraine's referendum law passed during Yanukovych's presidency designated as unconstitutional", "Zelenskyy speeds up corruption crackdown, one oligarch at a time", "Ukrainian lawmakers pass law on oligarchs after assassination attempt", "Ukraine: why Volodymyr Zelensky is pursuing a disruptive agenda", " . The discussions exploded on social media on Sunday, when Black List founder Franklin Leonard, tweeted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine's president and the man now seen around the globe for boldness on the stand for Ukraine's sovereignty had voiced the cartoon characters Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian version of the film. [76][77] Polish president Andrzej Duda was one of the first European leaders to congratulate Zelenskyy. Feb. 28, 2022, 12:19 PM PST. Mr Zelenskys popularity in Ukraine has soared in recent weeks, with people referring to him as Captain Ukraine and the countrys first true president since independence in 1991. This was decided by the passport service of Ukraine. The comedian-turned-politician . And if the Russian leadership does not want to sit down at the table with us for the sake of peace, then perhaps, they will sit down at the table with you. [266][267] As he considered the leaders of the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic (DPR and LPR) to be Russia's "puppets", it would "make no sense to speak with them". [74], Zelenskyy clearly won the first round of elections on 31 March 2019. Head to 3:00 in this video, a skit from before Ukraines 2010 elections. [66][67][68][69] On 19 April 2019 at Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex presidential debates were held in the form of a show. [114], Following the elections, Zelenskyy nominated Oleksiy Honcharuk as prime minister, who was quickly confirmed by parliament. [203], Zelenskyy has made an effort to rally the governments of Western nations in an effort to isolate Russia. Zelensky dated his wife Olena, a school acquaintance 11 days his junior, for eight years before they married in September 2003. However, new details reveal that he also voiced the. Most world leaders posted pictures of themselves with rolled-up sleeves getting their inoculations against COVID-19 in 2021. His office said Zelenskyy paid for the entire trip himself. 95 , Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, Prelude to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, 2022 annexation of four Ukrainian regions, 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, List of international presidential trips made by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, 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. "[237] The study published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) calculates that the EU paid Russia about 56 billion for fossil fuel deliveries in the three months following the start of Russia's invasion. People who know him say he is who he seems right now. Paddington [is a film] you can go to see with your whole family, and everyone will enjoy it regardless of your age, he adds. He got a scholarship to study in Israel but didnt go. He made the comment after he was asked about an online petition calling to lift a prohibition on Ukrainian men leaving Ukraine. In 2015 he starred in the television series Servant of the People, in which he played acted the character of a. While President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky is currently standing between Vladimir Putin and his absolute control over Ukraine, an interesting fact has emerged of his involvement with a bear. He used social media to deny rumors he had fled Ukraine, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. [48], In October 2021, the Pandora Papers revealed that Zelenskyy, his chief aide, and the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov operated a network of offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus, and Belize. He doesnt like to lose. [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. pic.twitter.com/BDfSQ4VJM0, Paddington actor Hugh Bonneville, who stars as Henry Brown, shared a tweet on Sunday, which read: "Until today I had no idea who provided the voice of @paddington in Ukraine. [229] In early June 2022, Zelenskyy's adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat every day. Volodymyr Zelensky, who is now being praised across the world for the way he is leading Ukraine amid the war Russia, was known for prolific performances as an actor and comedian before becoming . The 44-year-old was a comedian and actor before moving into politics, and . [200], On 15 March 2022, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, together with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jana, visited Kyiv to meet with Zelenskyy in a display of support for Ukraine. He says being Jewish is a small part of his identity. [6][7][8], During his presidential campaign, Zelenskyy promised to end Ukraine's protracted conflict with Russia, and he has attempted to engage in dialogue with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Its unclear how the Volodymyr Zelensky movie will end, but his admirers have already started suggesting stars to play him. [31], Before starting elementary school, Zelenskyy lived for four years in the Mongolian city of Erdenet, where his father worked. Regular, normal people. Zelensky has said that his family remains in Ukraine but that he will not disclose their location; he told CNN on Tuesday that he had not seen them in three days. They must know the truth. [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. The entertainment background of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky was thoughtfully invoked by Succession actor Brian Cox during the actor's SAG Award acceptance speech on Sunday night, just. The rumours emerged that this was the case after Black List founder . Not All Jews There Are Pleased", ": , , , , ", "Volodymyr Zelensky Was a Jewish Comedian. The President won't be offended if BBC standards assume different transliteration", Zelensky Unchained: What Ukraine's New Political Order Means For Its Future, "Ukraine Lifts Prosecutorial Immunity For Members Of Parliament", "Ukraine's anti-corruption effort struggles, but soldiers on", Faltering fightback: Zelensky's piecemeal campaign against Ukraine's oligarchs, "FT Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Before last week, few people in the UK may have heard of Volodymyr Zelensky but now the President of Ukraine is being hailed as one of the great leaders of the 21st century. [129] Several Ukrainian nationalist militias and former militias also refused to accept the agreement, including the far-right Azov fighters in the Luhansk region of Donbas. [177][178][179], More than 90% of Ukrainians supported the actions of Zelenskyy,[180] including more than 90% in western and central Ukraine and more than 80% in Russian-speaking regions in eastern and southern Ukraine. [78] French president Emmanuel Macron received Zelenskyy at the lyse Palace in Paris on 12 April 2019. [284] The couple's first daughter, Oleksandra, was born in July 2004. Critics of Zelenskyy's administration have claimed that, in taking power away from the Ukrainian oligarchs, he has sought to centralize authority and strengthen his personal position. A closer look at Mr Zelenskys background suggests it should come as no surprise that he is comfortable in the role of heroic leader. Most of his classmates took advantage of the option he named one woman specifically who moved to Israel but he did not, saying that his father prohibited him from moving. Later, the movie was dubbed into Ukrainian. 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. Hes young, funny, Jewish and committed to a strong democratic Ukraine, even at the risk of death. [234] On 25 May 2022, Zelenskyy said that he was satisfied with China's policy of staying away from the conflict. Volodymyr Zelensky, 45, was born on January 25, 1978, in the city of Kryvyi Rih in what was then known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The Russian Presidents pretext for war was that Ukraine is the victim of a genocidal regime and that his invasion would achieve the demilitarisation and de-Nazification of a neighbouring state. [268] In the interview he also said that if he were elected president he would not sign a law on amnesty for the militants of the DPR and LPR. He has also conducted business there as an actor and comedian, and performed in venues throughout the country. [239] On 20 July 2022, South America's Mercosur trade bloc refused Zelenskyy's request to speak at the trade bloc's summit in Paraguay. In 2015, he was cast in a show . [108] A number of the members of the Presidential Administration Zelenskyy appointed were former colleagues from his former production company, Kvartal 95,[106] including Ivan Bakanov, who became deputy head of the Ukrainian Secret Service. Until today I had no idea who provided the voice of Paddington Bear in Ukraine, he wrote. A translation (via AV Club) reads: "Hello to my darling friends.I, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, will lend my voice to the wonderful, charismatic, friendly bear Paddington. [277] He also said that Russian artists "who have turned into (anti-Ukrainian) politicians" should remain banned from entering Ukraine. But we have a right to urge a transformation from an appeasement policy to one that ensures security and peace," he stated.[168]. During the war in Donbas, he actively supported the Ukrainian army. [88], In addition, on 6 June, lawmakers refused to include Zelenskyy's key initiative on reintroducing criminal liability for illegal enrichment in the parliament's agenda, and instead included a similar bill proposed by a group of deputies. "[272], During the presidential campaign, Zelenskyy promised bills to fight corruption, including removal of immunity from the president of the country, members of the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian parliament) and judges, a law about impeachment, reform of election laws, and providing efficient trial by jury. The group operates eight Ukrainian TV channels and broadcast the Servant of the People TV series from 2015 until 2019, featuring Zelenskyy in a comedian role as a national president. Thanks for contacting us. [119] Honchurak's hasty departure caused disquiet both in Ukraine and abroad, with many economists and political observers warning it would bring instability. Ukraine's wartime president is a former TV star. 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Emmanuel Macron received Zelenskyy at the risk of death if that was the case in family... Play him prime minister, who was quickly confirmed by parliament, Following the elections, nominated! Via videoconference know him say he is who he seems right now rolled-up sleeves getting their inoculations COVID-19.