Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is actively seeking support from Western allies for his “Victory Plan,” which aims to end the ongoing war with Russia. Central to this plan is Ukraine’s desire to become NATO’s 33rd member with continued arms shipments for security guarantees. The primary goal is to strengthen the nation and facilitate a diplomatic resolution to the conflict which began with Russia’s invasion in 2022.
“Either Ukraine will have nuclear weapons and that will be our protection or we should have some sort of alliance. Apart from NATO, today we do not know any effective alliances,” Zelenskyy said at the European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stern warning. “Any step in this direction will meet an adequate response,” he said, claiming that “under no circumstances” would Russia allow such developments to happen.
Zelenskyy later clarified his remarks during a joint press conference with NATO chief Mark Rutte. “We are not building nuclear weapons. What I meant is that today, there is no stronger security guarantee for us than NATO membership,” he said.
Who Is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the 6th President of Ukraine. The 45-year-old transitioned from a comedian and TV star to a politician who would go on to lead the nation in the war against Russia.
Early Life And Education
Born on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Volodymyr Oleksandrovytch Zelenskyy grew up in a Jewish family. Both his parents – Oleksandr Zelenskyy and Rymma Zelenska – are engineers.
Before starting elementary school, Volodymyr Zelenskyy lived for four years in Erdenet, Mongolia, where his father worked to help build a copper mine. Zelenskyy grew up speaking Russian.
Zelenskyy’s early life was marked by a strong interest in comedy and acting. He graduated from the Kyiv National Economic University with a degree in law but pursued a career in entertainment instead.
Career in entertainment
Volodymyr Zelenskyy began his career in entertainment as an actor, scriptwriter, and producer for the stand-up comedy team KVARTAL 95 from 1997 to 2003. He then became the executive producer of KVARTAL 95, LLC until 2011, and served as Chief Executive at PJSC Inter TV Station from 2011 to 2012. He returned to KVARTAL 95 from 2013 to 2019, founding the NGO ‘The League of Laughter’ and producing 10 feature films, winning over 30 awards from Ukraine’s National Television Award, Teletriumph.
Zelenskyy also supported the armed forces during the Donbas conflict by providing funds, equipment for soldiers. He gained fame for his role in the 2015 TV series Servant of the People, where he played a high school history teacher who becomes President of Ukraine. The show led to the creation of a political party of the same name in March 2018.
The Unlikely President
In 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his candidacy for the Ukrainian presidency. Despite being a political novice, he won the election with a landslide victory, securing 73 percent of the vote, against incumbent Petro Poroshenko. His campaign focused on anti-corruption, economic reform and Ukrainian nationalism.
Presidency
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was inaugurated as Ukraine’s president on May 20, 2019. He is the first Jewish president of the country. He dissolved the parliament in his inaugural address, calling for early elections, but faced opposition from his coalition partner, the People’s Front. On May 28, he restored the former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili’s Ukrainian citizenship.
Zelenskyy’s proposals to change the electoral system and reintroduce criminal liability for illegal enrichment were rejected by parliament. However, on September 3, he succeeded in stripping lawmakers of legal immunity, fulfilling a key campaign promise.
He cancelled the annual Kyiv Independence Day Parade in July 2019, redirecting funds to support veterans. In 2020, his party proposed reforms to media laws aimed at reducing oligarchs’ influence but faced criticism for potential censorship.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy also focused on updating referendum laws, fulfilling another campaign promise, and introduced a bill to create a public registry of Ukraine’s oligarchs, which passed in September 2021 despite concerns about consolidating presidential power.
Zelenskyy’s Efforts To End The Donbas Conflict
The Donbas conflict began in 2014 when Russian-backed separatists seized parts of eastern Ukraine. Resolving this conflict was a key promise of Zelenskyy’s campaign.
In June 2019, he appointed former President Leonid Kuchma for peace talks and spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for EU-mediated discussions and prisoner exchanges.
In October 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed a deal to respect elections in Donbas if Russia withdrew troops, but the plan faced backlash from nationalists and critics. The agreement failed to reduce violence as separatists continued their attacks.
By December 2019, Zelenskyy resumed peace talks with Russia through the Normandy Format, with France and Germany as mediators. A ceasefire was declared in July 2020, but despite fewer violations, the conflict remained unresolved.
Controversies
Trump-Ukraine Scandal: Volodymyr Zelenskyy found himself at the centre of the 2019 impeachment controversy involving then-US President Donald Trump. In a July 2019 phone call, Trump allegedly pressured Zelenskyy to investigate Joe Biden, a key political rival, in exchange for releasing military aid to Ukraine. Despite being drawn into the scandal, Zelenskyy maintained he faced no pressure from Trump. Trump supporters have alleged that Joe Biden used his influence to stop Ukraine from a criminal investigation that could have implicated Hunter Biden, the US President’s son, who worked for an Ukrainian energy company. These were just allegations, though, and there was no evidence of any wrongdoing by Hunter Biden or of any move by Joe Biden to benefit his son.
UIA Flight 752 Crash: In January 2020, Volodymyr Zelenskyy ended a trip to Oman early after the crash of Flight 752 in Iran. In January 2020, the plane was shot down by Iranian forces, killing all on board. Zelenskyy’s administration faced criticism for not acting quickly enough to evacuate Ukrainian citizens from Iran.
Russia-Ukraine War
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been at the forefront of Ukraine’s resistance against Russia since the invasion began in February 2022. “Ukrainians are not ready to give away their land, to accept that these territories belong to Russia,” he told CNN in 2023. “This is our land,” he declared.
Zelenskyy has firmly rejected any territorial concessions, maintaining that Ukraine must retain its internationally recognised borders. He has also repeatedly advocated for Ukraine’s membership in NATO, seeing it as crucial for long-term security.
Zelenskyy received strong backing from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who said, “Without a doubt, Ukraine deserves to be in NATO.”
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is a military alliance established in 1949 to provide collective defence against potential security threats. It follows an open-door policy, allowing any country to join if it meets the alliance’s principles. It must be noted that any current member can block a new country’s entry under NATO’s accession rules.
Personal Life
Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been married to Olena Zelenska since 2003. They have two children together – Oleksandra (2004) and Kyrylo (2013).