CNN
—
Here’s some background information about the life of Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine.
Birth date: January 25, 1978
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Birth place: Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine
Birth name: Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky
Father: Oleksandr Zelensky, computer science professor
Mother: Rimma Zelenska, engineer
Marriage: Olena (Kiyashko) Zelenska (2003-present)
Children: Oleksandra and Kyrylo
Education: Kyiv National Economic University, law, 2000
Religion: Jewish
Former comedian, actor, writer and producer.
Best known for starring in the television series “Servant of the People.” He played a destitute schoolteacher who unexpectedly becomes president of Ukraine after video of his anti-corruption rant goes viral.
Zelensky’s unorthodox path to leading and inspiring Ukraine
1990s – Forms a comedy troupe with college friends called Kvartal 95. The group gains prominence performing in comedy competitions, and eventually starts a popular live sketch television show, “Evening Kvartal.”
2003 – Co-founds an entertainment production company, Kvartal 95 Studio.
2009 – In his feature film debut, Zelensky co-writes and stars in the romantic comedy “No Love in the City.”
November 16, 2015 – “Servant of the People” premieres.
2018 – Kvartal 95 Studio officially registers Servant of the People as a political party.
December 31, 2018 – Announces his candidacy in the 2019 presidential election.
April 21, 2019 – Zelensky is elected president, defeating incumbent Petro Poroshenko with 73.22% of the vote.
May 20, 2019 – Sworn in as the 6th president of Ukraine. In his inaugural address, Zelensky dissolves the current Ukrainian parliament and orders a parliamentary election. He also announces his intention to achieve a ceasefire in Donbas, a region in eastern Ukraine which is the site of hostilities between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces.
July 2019 – Zelensky’s Servant of the People party wins an outright majority in parliamentary elections.
July 25, 2019 – Phone call with US President Donald Trump, during which Trump presses Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
September 25, 2019 – Zelensky meets Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. During a joint press conference, Zelensky says he does not want to become involved in American politics, and he stresses that he did not feel pressured by Trump during the July phone call.
October 1, 2019 – Zelensky agrees to hold a local election in eastern Ukraine, signing accords with Russia, European monitors and separatists from the region. The agreement could pave the way for peace talks between Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin and European leaders. Ukrainian nationalists protest the agreement, describing it as a capitulation to Russia.
December 9, 2019 – Attends the Normandy summit peace talks in Paris, marking Zelensky’s first meeting with Putin. Ukraine and Russia agree to a new prisoner swap and a ceasefire before the end of the year. Zelensky calls the results of the talks “a draw.”
March 4, 2020 – Zelensky replaces the country’s prime minister, saying he hopes the new PM will “do the impossible.” Ukraine’s Parliament approves Denis Shmygal as the new PM, after accepting the resignation of Oleksiy Honcharuk at an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament
September 1, 2021 – Zelensky meets with President Joe Biden in his first visit to the White House. A joint statement issued by the two countries affirms the US commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty.
November 26, 2021 – Zelensky claims a group of Ukrainians and Russians is planning to carry out a coup against him.
January 27, 2022 – Amid a buildup of Russian troops at the Ukrainian border, Biden and Zelensky hold a phone call in which Biden warns that a Russian attack may be imminent. Zelensky tells reporters the following day that world leaders have been overstating the likelihood of war between Ukraine and Russia.
February 19, 2022 – Zelensky delivers a speech at the Munich Security Conference asking for new security guarantees and preemptive sanctions on Russia prior to any invasion.
February 24, 2022 – Russian military forces enter Ukraine and begin a full-scale assault across airfields, military headquarters, major cities and ports. Zelensky introduces martial law and urges calm, saying, “We are strong. We are ready for everything. We will win over everybody because we are Ukraine.”
March 16, 2022 – Delivers a virtual address to the US Congress from Kyiv in the midst of the Russian invasion. Zelensky invokes Pearl Harbor and September 11 to make an appeal for a no-fly zone, additional sanctions and continued assistance.
April 3, 2022 – After reports of alleged Russian atrocities in the town of Bucha near Kyiv, Zelensky calls for an end of Russian “war crimes.” In his address, Zelensky announces a “mechanism of justice” will be established to investigate crimes committed by Russian soldiers in Ukrainian territory.
September 30, 2022 – Putin announces that Russia will seize four Ukrainian regions, in an annexation process which is illegal under international law. Zelensky calls the move a “farce” in a pre-recorded video statement and vows that “the entire territory of our country will be liberated.” Zelensky also said his country would apply for NATO membership “under an accelerated procedure,” but it’s unclear how long such a process will take.
Ukrainian military continues to advance into several of the areas Russia now claims as its own.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
strike on a convoy of civilian cars that killed at least 30 people near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on September 30.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
results of a referendum on the joining of the DPR to Russia, in Donetsk, Ukraine, on September 27.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
referendum poster reading “Yes” in Berdyansk, Ukraine, on September 26. Russia is attempting to annex up to 18% of Ukrainian territory, with President Vladimir Putin expected to host a ceremony in the Kremlin to declare four occupied Ukrainian territories part of Russia.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
mass grave in a forest on the outskirts of Izyum, eastern Ukraine on September 18. Ukrainian authorities discovered hundreds of graves outside the formerly Russian-occupied city.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on September 1.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
six month anniversary of the Russian invasion, on August 24. ” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
leaving port of Odesa, Ukraine, on August 5. ” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
evacuation train departs from Pokrovsk, eastern Ukraine, on August 2.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Russian missile strike in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, on August 1.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
At least 29 people have been confirmed dead.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
missile attack in the Serhiivka district of Odesa, Ukraine, on July 1.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
rocket attack in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, on June 28.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
session of G7 leaders via video link from his office in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday June 27.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Severodonetsk, Ukraine, on June 20.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Italian PM Mario Draghi past destroyed buildings in Irpin, Ukraine, on June 16.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Young people swing in front of destroyed residential buildings in Borodyanka, Ukraine, on June 15.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
mass grave near the village of Vorzel in the Bucha district near Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 13.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
front line in Severodonetsk, Ukraine, on Wednesday, June 8.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
MLRS towards Russian positions at the front line in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbas on June 7.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
sentenced to life in prison by a Ukrainian court in Kyiv on May 23. He was convicted of killing an unarmed civilian. It was the first war crimes trial arising from Russia’s invasion.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
evacuated from the Azovstal steel plant wait near a prison in Olyonivka on May 17. The steel plant was the last holdout in Mariupol, a city that had become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance under relentless Russian bombardment.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
internally displaced people in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on May 8.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Antonov Airport in Hostomel, Ukraine, on May 5.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
fire at an oil depot in Makiivka, Ukraine, after missiles struck a facility in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatist forces on May 4.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
the most senior US official to meet with Zelensky since Russia invaded Ukraine.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
struck the Ukrainian capital shortly after a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
attend a meeting in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 24.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Easter church service at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv on April 24.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Russian attack on Mariupol.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Shocking images showing the bodies of civilians scattered across the suburb of Kyiv sparked international outrage and raised the urgency of ongoing investigations into alleged Russian war crimes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Russian leaders to be held accountable for the actions of the nation’s military. The Russian Ministry of Defense, without evidence, claimed the extensive footage of Bucha was “fake.”” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
What was left of the town, after intense shelling and devastating airstrikes, was then occupied by Russian forces.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Zelensky emphasized as he stood in the town, surrounded by security.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
confirmed a strike on an oil refinery and fuel storage facilities in the port city.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
meet in Istanbul for talks on March 29. Russia said it would “drastically reduce” its military assault on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv. The announcement came after Ukrainian and Western intelligence assessments recently suggested that Russia’s advance on Kyiv was stalling. The talks also covered other important issues, including the future of the eastern Donbas region, the fate of Crimea, a broad alliance of security guarantors and a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
following a Russian attack on March 29. At least nine people were killed, according to the Mykolaiv regional media office’s Telegram channel.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
the 110-minute call to dissuade Xi from assisting Russia in its war on Ukraine.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
the celebration, which commemorated the eighth year of Russia’s annexation of Crimea.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
The historic speech occurred as the United States is under pressure to provide more military assistance to the embattled country.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
an airstrike on the Yavoriv military base near the Polish border. Local authorities say 35 people were killed.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
besieged by Russian forces.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
their newborn daughter, Veronika, at a hospital in Mariupol on March 11. Vishegirskaya survived the maternity hospital bombing in the city earlier in the week.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
a funeral service for three Ukrainian soldiers in Lviv on March 11. Senior Soldier Andrii Stefanyshyn, 39; Senior Lt. Taras Didukh, 25; and Sgt. Dmytro Kabakov, 58, were laid to rest at the Saints Peter and Paul Garrison Church. Even in this sacred space, the sounds of war intruded: an air raid siren audible under the sound of prayer and weeping. Yet no one stirred. Residents are now inured to the near-daily warnings of an air attack.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Lavrov falsely claimed that his country “did not attack” its neighbor.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Due to heavy fighting, Irpin has been without heat, water or electricity for several days.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
bombed maternity hospital in Mariupol on March 9. The woman and her baby later died, a surgeon who was treating her confirmed. The attack came despite Russia agreeing to a 12-hour pause in hostilities to allow refugees to evacuate.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
unable to hold proper burials.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
stretched for miles as people tried to escape fighting in districts to the north and northwest of Kyiv.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
addresses British lawmakers via video on March 8. “We will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight until the end at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost,” he said in his comments translated by an interpreter. The House of Commons gave Zelensky a standing ovation at the end of his address.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
a Russian military strike.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Russian missile attack on Kyiv on Thursday, April 28, which occurred as the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres was finishing a visit to the Ukrainian capital.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
their meeting, in Kyiv, on April 28. ” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Residents wrapped statues in protective sheets to try to safeguard historic monuments across the city.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
18-month-old son, Kirill, who was wounded by shelling in Mariupol on March 4. Medical workers frantically tried to save the boy’s life, but he didn’t survive.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
According to the Washington Post, he was a member of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense Forces, which is comprised mostly of volunteers.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Russian forces have “occupied” the power plant.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
a senior US defense official told reporters.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Video of the incident was widely shared on social media.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
take shelter in a subway station in Kyiv on March 2.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
an exclusive interview with CNN and Reuters on March 1. Zelensky said that as long as Moscow’s attacks on Ukrainian cities continued, little progress could be made in talks between the two nations. “It’s important to stop bombing people, and then we can move on and sit at the negotiation table,” he said.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Russian forces fired rockets near the tower and struck a Holocaust memorial site in Kyiv hours after warning of “high-precision” strikes on other facilities linked to Ukrainian security agencies.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
hold talks in Belarus on February 28. Both sides discussed a potential “ceasefire and the end of combat actions on the territory of Ukraine,” Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhaylo Podolyak told reporters. Without going into detail, Podolyak said that both sides would return to their capitals for consultations over whether to implement a number of “decisions.”” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
according to the Associated Press was killed by Russian shelling in a residential area, lies on a medical cart at a hospital in Mariupol on February 27. The girl, whose name was not immediately known, was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
extended a citywide curfew.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
that was damaged by shelling.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
The dramatic scene was captured on video, and CNN confirmed its authenticity. The moment drew comparisons to the iconic “Tank Man” of Tiananmen Square.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
told CNN that more than 120,000 people had left Ukraine while 850,000 were internally displaced.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Explosions were seen and heard in parts of the capital as Ukrainians battled to hold back advancing Russian troops.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Newly married couple Yaryna Arieva and Sviatoslav Fursin pose for photo in Kyiv on February 25 after they joined the Territorial Defense Forces.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
their wedding ceremony at the St. Michael’s Cathedral in Kyiv on February 24. They had planned on getting married in May, but they rushed to tie the knot due to the attacks by Russian forces. “We maybe can die, and we just wanted to be together before all of that,” Arieva said.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
address the Russian invasion on February 24. “Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war. And now he and his country will bear the consequences,” Biden said, laying out a set of measures that will “impose severe cost on the Russian economy, both immediately and over time.”” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Airports were also hit in Boryspil, Kharkiv, Ozerne, Kulbakino, Kramatorsk and Chornobaivka.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
seized control of the the plant, the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
In a video address, Zelensky announced that he was introducing martial law. He urged people to remain calm.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
a barrage of artillery.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
exiting Kyiv on February 24. Heavy traffic appeared to be heading west, away from where explosions were heard early in the morning.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
announces a military operation in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine on February 24. “Whoever tries to interfere with us, and even more so to create threats to our country, to our people, should know that Russia’s response will be immediate and will lead you to such consequences as you have never experienced in your history,” he said.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is held in New York to discuss the crisis on February 23. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop “attacking Ukraine” and to give peace a chance.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
killed by a shrapnel wound on February 19 after several rounds of artillery fire were directed at Ukrainian positions near Myronivske.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Global markets tumbled the day after Putin ordered troops into parts of eastern Ukraine.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
an address by Putin from their hotel room in Taganrog, Russia, on February 21. Putin blasted Kyiv’s growing security ties with the West, and in lengthy remarks about the history of the USSR and the formation of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, he appeared to cast doubt on Ukraine’s right to self-determination.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Putin signs decrees recognizing the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic in a ceremony in Moscow on February 21. Earlier in the day, the heads of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian republics requested the Kremlin leader recognize their independence and sovereignty. Members of Putin’s Security Council supported the initiative in a meeting earlier in the day.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
the position came under fire. No one was injured.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
a staged attack designed to stoke tensions in eastern Ukraine.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
those who died in 2014 while protesting against the government of President Viktor Yanukovych, a pro-Russian leader who later fled the country.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
damaged by shelling is seen in Stanytsia Luhanska, Ukraine, on February 17. No lives were lost, but it was a stark reminder of the stakes for people living near the front lines that separate Ukrainian government forces from Russian-backed separatists.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
urged Americans in Ukraine to leave the country, warning that “things could go crazy quickly” in the region.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
were hit by cyberattacks that day, as were the websites of Ukraine’s defense ministry and army, according to Ukrainian government agencies.” class=”image_gallery-image__dam-img”/>
Source link: https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/29/europe/volodymyr-zelensky-fast-facts/index.html