[11] After the start of the invasion, Zelenskyy declared martial law across Ukraine and a general mobilisation of the armed forces. By AAMER MADHANI and MATTHEW LEE February 18, 2022. Who can prevent this? whitehouse.gov. [176] In the early hours of 26 February, during the most significant assault by Russian troops on the capital of Kyiv, the United States government and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoan urged Zelenskyy to evacuate to a safer location, and both offered assistance for such an effort. We voted for one Poroshenko, but received another. 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. [34] In the series, Zelenskyy's character was a high-school history teacher in his 30s who won the presidential election after a viral video showed him ranting against government corruption in Ukraine. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood . The prime minister presides over the cabinet. In a story you'll see only on ABC7 News, Bay Area native and Vice President Kamala Harris discusses Asian-owned businesses, reflected on her past two years in office as the nation's first female . [267] In an interview published three days before the 2019 presidential election (on 21 April), Zelenskyy stated that he was against granting the Donbas region "special status". [14][15][16][17], Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy was born to Jewish parents on 25 January 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. [34], In August 2014, Zelenskyy spoke out against the intention of the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture to ban Russian artists from Ukraine. [39] Since 2015, Ukraine has banned Russian artists and other Russian works of culture from entering Ukraine. ", " ", "Ukraine bans 38 Russian 'hate' books amid culture war", " - "", " , ", "Volodymyr Zelensky in major lead in Ukraine presidential election runoff: Biography, quotes", Pandora Papers Reveal Offshore Holdings of Ukrainian President and his Inner Circle, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, "Revealed: 'anti-oligarch' Ukrainian president's offshore connections", "Lawyer Zelenskyy has registered a new political party "Servant of the people", "The boundary of a joke. [246][247] He met with President Joe Biden and addressed Congress delivering his full speech in English. A Ukrainian lawmaker who met with Rudolph W. Giuliani late last year released recordings of private phone calls several years ago between Vice President Joe Biden and Petro Poroshenko, then . Ukraine's vice prime minister called on SpaceX billionaire Elon Musk to help the embattled nation with communication satellites on Saturday, as they faced a third day of assaults from Russia .. [225], In April 2022, Zelenskyy criticized Germany's ties with Russia. January 25, 1978 - Born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine. In 2016, she participated in the show The Comedy Comet Company Comedy's Kids and won 50,000. [73], Zelenskyy stated that as president he would develop the economy and attract investment to Ukraine through "a restart of the judicial system" and restoring confidence in the state. Eduard Heger, the Slovak prime minister, compared the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968. [274], Zelenskyy opposed targeting the Russian language in Ukraine and banning artists for their political opinions (such as those viewed by the Government as anti-Ukrainian). Not All Jews There Are Pleased", ": , , , , ", "Volodymyr Zelensky Was a Jewish Comedian. [4]:710 His party won a landslide victory in the snap legislative election held shortly after his inauguration as president. . [202] The video is considered to be the first use of deepfake technology in a global-scale disinformation attack. Symbolic moment today in Munich as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy stood side by side with Vice President Harris just days ahead of what the U.S. says is a planned Russian attack on Ukraine. ][41], After the Ukrainian media had reported that during the Russo-Ukrainian War Zelenskyy's Kvartal 95 had donated 1 million to the Ukrainian army, some Russian politicians and artists petitioned for a ban on his works in Russia. [119] Honchurak's hasty departure caused disquiet both in Ukraine and abroad, with many economists and political observers warning it would bring instability. [104] [35] He was soon invited to join the united Ukrainian team "Zaporizhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit", which performed in the KVN's Major League, and eventually won in 1997. In remarks to reporters in Houston, Trump described his conversation with the Ukrainian. [289], On 27 March 2022, Slovakia awarded Zelenskyy one of the country's top awards, the State Award of Alexander Dubek. 1997-2003 - Actor, performer, script writer, producer of the stand-up . Prior to the elections, Zelenskyy presented a team that included former finance minister Oleksandr Danylyuk and others. [9] His administration faced an escalation of tensions with Russia in 2021, culminating in the launch of an ongoing full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. Fox News host Tucker Carlson admitted on Thursday that he was wrong about the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine but blamed the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris for his . Please submit all media inquiries to interviews@usip.org or call 202.429.3869. [173] Later in the day, he announced general mobilisation. Prior to his acting career, he obtained a degree in law from the Kyiv National Economic University. [290] British newspaper Financial Times selected Zelenskyy as Person of the Year in 2022. "[123], One of Zelenskyy's central campaign promises had been to end the Russo-Ukrainian War and resolve the Russia-sponsored separatist movement there. "[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. Volodymyr Zelensky, also spelled Volodymyr Zelenskyy, (born January 25, 1978, Kryvyy Rih, Ukraine, U.S.S.R. [now in Ukraine]), Ukrainian actor and comedian who was elected president of Ukraine in 2019. Good afternoon, everyone. Parliament also confirmed Andrii Zahorodniuk as defence minister, Vadym Prystaiko as foreign minister and Ivan Bakanov as head of the SBU. Are these people present among you? [74] He also proposed a tax amnesty and a 5 per cent flat tax for big business which could be increased "in dialogue with them and if everyone agrees". He was sworn in on January 20, 2021. Trump called Zelensky on July 25 to congratulate the new president of Ukraine on his election. A political party bearing the same name as the television show was created in March 2018 by employees of Kvartal 95. [284] The couple's first daughter, Oleksandra, was born in July 2004. Since 2015, Ukraine has banned Russian artists and other Russian works of culture from entering Ukraine. [199] However, Zelenskyy said that Ukraine was considering giving the Russian language protected minority status. [45], Zelenskyy worked mostly in Russian-language productions. [53][51] After months of ambiguous statements,[52][51] on 31 December, less than four months from the election, Zelenskyy announced his candidacy for president of Ukraine on the New Year's Eve evening show on the TV channel 1+1. "The Polish government announced Tuesday that it was putting its fleet of MiG jets at American disposal to supply to Ukraine . Ukraine needs real reforms. [269] On 2 May 2019, Zelenskyy wrote on Facebook that "the border is the only thing Russia and Ukraine have in common". [74] According to Zelenskyy, if people would notice that his new government "works honestly from the first day", they would start paying their taxes. But no . [70][71][72] In his introductory speech, Zelenskyy acknowledged that in 2014 he voted for Poroshenko, but "I was mistaken. [70] Although Zelenskyy initially said he would only serve a single term, he walked back this promise in May 2021, saying he had not yet made up his mind. [138] On 14 January 2020, Andriy Yermak dismissed the rumors as speculations and baseless conspiracy theories,[139] while Medvedchuk stated that the plane was used by his older daughter's family to fly from Oman to Moscow. Regular, normal people. [291], Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi, an extinct species of feather star described on 20 July 2022 by a group of Polish paleontologists, is named after Zelenskyy "for his courage and bravery in defending free Ukraine".[304][305]. . [175] In an early morning address that day, 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. [265], In an interview in December 2018, Zelenskyy stated that as president he would try to end the ongoing war in Donbas by negotiating with Russia. [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. [92], On 8 July, Zelenskyy ordered the cancellation of the annual Kyiv Independence Day Parade on Maidan Nezalezhnosti, citing costs. 'I am more responsible than brave', "Ukraine still backs Zelenskyy despite slow progress", "Military tactics: Zelensky plays both sides in Ukrainian crisis", "Ukraine war: what are Russia's strategic aims and how effectively are they achieving them? [4]:1113 His communication style makes extensive use of social media, particularly Instagram. "The vice president's visit is meant to send a signal of reassurance and unity on the part of the United States to these Eastern NATO allies," said Olga Oliker, the Brussels-based Europe and . It was not even close. [148] This report was the catalyst for the TrumpUkraine scandal and the impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. As we have reported more than once last year, Biden traveled to Kyiv as vice president and warned Ukraine's then-president, Petro Poroshenko, that the U.S. would withhold $1 billion in loan. As early as October 2018, three months before his campaign announcement and six months before the presidential election, he was already a frontrunner in opinion polls. [135] The same day, internet news site Obozrevatel.com released information that on 7 January 2020, Ukrainian politician of the Opposition Platform For Life Viktor Medvedchuk who has exclusive relations with the current president of Russia may have arrived in Oman. [192], Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for direct talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin,[193] saying: "Good Lord, what do you want? [75] In the second round, on 21 April 2019, he received 73 per cent of the vote to Poroshenko's 25 per cent, and was elected President of Ukraine. Here's how that would work", "8 EU countries support Ukraine's call to fast-track membership talks", "Exclusive: Ukraine's Zelensky says he doesn't feel China threat", "Ukraine election rivals trade taunts and media tricks", "Front-runner in Ukraine's election race names condition for returning Crimea", "Ukraine's New President Zelensky Hints At Peace With Russia", Zelensky about the war in the Donbas: Though we are ready to agree with the devil, Vladimir Zelensky: It is beneficial for us to dissolve the Rada, but we will think and act according to the law, "Ukraine poll leader Volodymyr Zelensky sees Putin as an enemy", "Zelensky: Border only "common" thing between Ukraine, Russia", "Ukraine insists Nord Stream 2 is 'dangerous' despite German reassurances", "Zelensky says Ukraine will fight until it regains all its territories after Kissinger remark", Comfortable topics for candidates: how they understand reforms, " , ", " Sevas.Com", Zelensky suggested, that he might not get to shake Poroshenko's hand, "Zelensky says Ukraine's government may allow civil partnerships for same-sex couples", "Zelensky floats civil unions amid gay marriage push in Ukraine", "Ukraine president backs civil partnerships for same-sex couples", "Zelensky Proposes Barring Orthodox Church That Answers to Moscow", "Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's shy first lady, steps up", "Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska on being Russia's target No 2: 'When you see their crimes, maybe they really are capable of anything', " : , ", " : 2018 6 ", "Slovakia Awards Zelenskiy Dubcek Prize For 'Freedom and Hope', " - ", "France's Macron awards Legion of Honour to Ukraine's Zelenskiy", " ", "Zeenski z najwyszym litewskim odznaczeniem. You will not have a quiet place on this earth except for a grave. [190] While speaking about Ukrainian civilians who were killed by Russian forces, Zelenskyy said:[191]. ", "Zelenskyy Again Asking Rada To Dismiss Lutsenko And Klimkin, Appoint Prystaiko As Foreign Affairs Minister", "Zelensky appoints his first governors in Lviv, Donetsk, Zakarpattia oblasts", "Volodymyr Zelensky clears the old elite out of parliament", "Oleksiy Honcharuk named prime minister, Cabinet approved", "Ukrainian Parliament Accepts Resignation Of Influential Interior Minister", " ' , : " ", "Zelensky dismisses head of president's office Bohdan, appoints Yermak instead", "Ukrainian president removes PM in government reshuffle", "Hasty government reshuffle sows disquiet at home, abroad", "Speech by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy at an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada", "Zelensky's approval rating slides to 31% poll", "Zelensky enacts strategy for de-occupation and reintegration of Crimea", "Ukraine conflict: Anger as Zelensky agrees vote deal in east", " ", "Telephone conversation with President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky", "Putin and Zelensky hold first discussion with talks on conflict, prisoner swap", "Thousands protest Ukraine leader's peace plan", "The basis for a peaceful resolution of the war in eastern Ukraine trends at the end of 2019", "Far-right groups protest Ukrainian president's peace plan", "Ukraine tensions: what is the Normandy format and has it achieved anything? [19] Love in the Big City 3 was released in January 2014. [193] Zelenskyy said he is ready for dialogue, but "not for capitulation". [105], Zelenskyy appointed Andriy Bohdan as head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine. Russian missiles struck a number of military targets in Ukraine, and Zelenskyy declared martial law. [12][13] Zelenskyy was named the Time Person of the Year for 2022 and opinion polls in Ukraine have ranked him as Ukraine's greatest president. I know that they will not show this appeal of mine on Russian television. People. 28 October 2021 - 22:17 President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Vice-President,Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis. [183][186][187][188] BBC News and The Guardian have reported that his response to the invasion has received praise even from previous critics. He has made numerous addresses to the legislatures of the EU,[204][205] UK,[206] Poland,[207] Australia,[208] Canada,[209] US,[210] Germany,[211] Israel,[212] Italy,[213] Japan,[214] the Netherlands,[215] Romania,[216] and the Nordic countries. [255] The programme also states that Zelenskyy "will do everything to ensure" that Ukraine can apply for European Union membership in 2024. [19], In 2008, he starred in the feature film Love in the Big City, and its sequel, Love in the Big City 2. "Ukraine has been granted security assurances in exchange for giving up the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal. In these conspiracy theory version of events, former actor and comedian Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was democratically elected Ukrainian president in 2019, is actually a "New World Order" puppet,. But we have a right to urge a transformation from an appeasement policy to one that ensures security and peace," he stated.[168]. Detractors noted that elections held in Donbas were unlikely to be free and fair, that the separatists had long driven out most pro-Ukrainian residents out of the region to ensure a pro-Russia majority, and that it would be impossible to ensure Russia kept its end of the agreement. [144], Zelenskyy's first official trip abroad as president was to Brussels in June 2019, where he met with European Union and NATO officials. Taras Gorbul, FOUNDER & CEO of Superheroes.marketing, Vice President of the Ukrainian-Swiss Business Association, and a Board Member of the NGO "Superheroes of And the truth is that this needs to stop, before it is too late. THE VICE PRESIDENT: Mr. President, I may have to call you once every couple weeks just to hear your voice. [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. His first role in the Ukrainian language was the romantic comedy I, You, He, She,[46] which appeared on the screens of Ukraine in December 2018. He made the comment after he was asked about an online petition calling to lift a prohibition on Ukrainian men leaving Ukraine. [181] A Pew Research Center poll found that 72% of Americans had confidence in Zelenskyy's handling of international affairs. [27][28][29][30] In March 2022, Zelenskyy said that his great-grandparents had been killed after German troops burned their home to the ground during a massacre. The Vice President has departed for Kyiv, Ukraine, where he will meet with President Petro Poroshenko, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Ukrainian reformers from both government and civil society, and deliver a speech to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. [128] The agreement failed to ease the conflict, as the separatists continued their attacks and Russia continued providing them with weapons and ammunition. Just like people in Ukraine. CPAC Straw Poll: Trump Wins in Blow Out - Donald Trump dominated the 2023 CPAC Straw Poll. United States government official. [87], Zelenskyy's first major proposal to change the electoral system from a plurality voting system to proportional representation with closed party lists was strongly rejected by the Ukrainian parliament, due to the belief that closed lists would lead to more corruption in government. Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected President of Ukraine on April 21, 2019. [282][283] Kiyashko worked as a scriptwriter at Kvartal 95. Recounting a trip to Kyiv in late 2015, Biden described telling the then-president of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, that he had to fire the prosecutor general or the US would not release $1 billion in loan guarantees. The. [203], Zelenskyy has made an effort to rally the governments of Western nations in an effort to isolate Russia. Mr. President, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. Chairman, members of the Rada, ladies and gentlemen, I am deeply honored to be invited to speak to you today at a moment marked by great opportunity . According to Article 102 of the Constitution of Ukraine, the President of Ukraine is the Head of State and acts in its name, is the guarantor of state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, compliance with the Constitution of Ukraine, rights and freedoms of man and citizen. [133] Although the ceasefire was frequently violated over the next few years and overall violence remained high, ceasefire violations in 2020 did decrease by over 50 per cent compared to the previous year. Critics said it risked increasing media censorship in Ukraine[97] because its clause of criminal responsibility for the distribution of disinformation could be abused. Now the World's Eyes Are on Him", " 4 : ", "Zelenskiy: contribution of Ukrainians in victory over Nazism huge", "18 things to know about Jewish defender of Ukrainian democracy Volodymyr Zelensky", "Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the story of his family during a joint speech with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu", "Putin says he'll 'denazify' Ukraine. [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. Despite this, Zelenskyy highlighted that the day would "honor heroes" on Independence Day, however the "format will be new". [220] In March 2022, Zelenskyy supported the suspension of 11 Ukrainian political parties with ties to Russia: the Socialist Party of Ukraine, Derzhava, Left Opposition, Nashi, Opposition Bloc, Opposition Platform For Life, Party of Shariy, Progressive Socialist Party of Ukraine, Union of Leftists, and the Volodymyr Saldo Bloc. [164] Zelenskyy said that "we do not see a bigger escalation" than in early 2021 when Russia's military build-up started. [145], In August 2019, Zelenskyy promised to lift the moratorium on exhuming Polish mass graves in Ukraine after the previous Ukrainian government banned the Polish side from carrying out any exhumations of Polish victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army-perpetrated Volhynian massacres, following the removal of a memorial to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army in Hruszowice, southeastern Poland. The headline on the March 10 article reads, "Vice President Kamala Harris laughs at the plight of Ukraine; at idea of America offering assistance." It was published on The Raging Patriot blog . [74], Zelenskyy clearly won the first round of elections on 31 March 2019. On 7 March 2022, Czech president Milo Zeman decided to award Zelenskyy with the highest state award of the Czech Republic, the Order of the White Lion, for "his bravery and courage in the face of Russia's invasion". [182], Zelenskyy has gained worldwide recognition as the wartime leader of Ukraine during the Russian invasion; historian Andrew Roberts compared him to Winston Churchill. Ruslan Ryaboshapka, who served as Ukraine's prosecutor general until March, conducted a full audit of all the criminal cases in Ukraine involving the company and told The Post he found no. Andriy Biletsky, the leader of the far-right National Corps and first commander of Azov, accused Zelenskyy of being disrespectful to army veterans and of acting on behalf of the Kremlin by leaving Ukrainians vulnerable to Russian aggression. Kyiv, Ukraine. His office said Zelenskyy paid for the entire trip himself. Mr. Vice President, we value the level of technical assistance that is provided by the government of the United States. [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. "Zelensky" redirects here. These companies included some that owned expensive London property. "[258], In February 2022, he applied for Ukraine to join the European Union. [196] On 8 March, Zelenskyy expressed willingness to discuss Putin's demands. "I looked at them and said, 'I'm leaving in six hours,'" Biden told the crowd, taking a long look at his watch for effect . Zelenskyy said: "We support Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty just as Azerbaijan always supports our territorial integrity and sovereignty. This has been going on a long time. Burisma hired Hunter Biden to serve as a board member in 2014 when his vice president father was leading the Obama administration's Ukraine policy and paid him up to $1 million per year, despite . We were mistaken. Out of 2,028 CPAC attendees who voted, Trump received 62 percent of the vote. [82], Zelenskyy was inaugurated on 20 May 2019. He promised to bring the salary for military personnel "to the level of NATO standards". [259][260], Zelenskyy has tried to position Ukraine as a neutral party in the political and trade tensions between the United States and China. "[236], On 30 May 2022, Zelenskyy criticized EU leaders for being too soft on Russia and asked, "Why can Russia still earn almost a billion euros a day by selling energy? Leave our land. His party gained 254 of the 424 seats. Who does not want this more than anyone? [249] Zelenskyy's election manifesto mentioned tariffs only oncethat money raised from a capital amnesty would go towards "lowering the tariff burden on low-income citizens". [232] However, he later said he did not believe that all the land seized by Russia since 2014, which includes Crimea, could be recaptured by force, saying that "If we decide to go that way, we will lose hundreds of thousands of people. In Zelenskyy's 2014 movie 8 New Dates, their daughter played Sasha, the daughter of the protagonist. But not from 30 meters away, like with Macron and Scholz. Vice President Kamala Harris' visit with staunch NATO ally Poland became partly a clean-up mission Thursday after a controversy erupted over a proposal to provide fighter jets to Ukraine. [136][137] Soon, rumors began that Zelenskyy may have had some additional meetings beside the ones that were announced. [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. This can't be anything but fake as Ukraine does not have a vice president. [229] In early June 2022, Zelenskyy's adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said that up to 200 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in combat every day. [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. ", "How Ukraine's Presidential Race Is Shaping Up", "Comedian faces scrutiny over oligarch ties in Ukraine presidential race", "Volodymyr Zelensky: April 1 an awesome day for a clown to win", "Ukraine media demands access to runoff frontrunner Zelensky", "The World Just Witnessed the First Entirely Virtual Presidential Campaign", "Ukraine election: Why comic Zelenskiy is real threat to Poroshenko", "Crowdsourcer In Chief: Ukrainian Funnyman Takes Unorthodox Path To Top Of Presidential Pack", "Zelensky: Party "Servant of the people" goes into politics", " " " ", "Ukraine elections: actor and comedian poised to win crushing victory", "Ukraine election: Poroshenko attacks Zelensky before runoff", "Rivals in Ukraine's presidential runoff hold bitter debate at sports stadium", "How the Ukraine Scandal Looks in Ukraine", " vs : ", " : , ", " : "", " , ", " ", "Central Election Commission of Ukraine Ukrainian Presidential Election 2019 (first round)", "Ukraine election: Comedian Zelensky wins presidency by landslide", "Election of President of Ukraine 2019 Repeat voting", " ", " ", "Ukraine vaults into unknown after comic elected president", "Joint letter of President Tusk and President Juncker to Volodymyr Zelensky, President-elect of Ukraine Consilium", "Ukraine's New President Vows To Dissolve Parliament As PM, Other Key Officials Resign", "Volodymyr Zelenskyy promised international partners that the world would be proud of Ukraine", "New Ukraine President Zelensky calls snap election", "Zelensky may dissolve parliament despite People's Front withdrawal from coalition expert", "Georgia's Saakashvili has Ukrainian citizenship restored", "UAWire Ukrainian parliament rejects Zelensky's proposal to change election system", " , ", "Quick win for Zelenskiy as Ukraine parliament strips lawmakers' immunity", "Zelensky cancels Independence Day parade on August 24 citing costs", "Zelensky cancels Independence Day military parade, gives money to soldiers | KyivPost Ukraine's Global Voice", "No Independence Day parade to be held this year, Zelensky says", "Bonuses instead of parade: Ukraine's leader takes surprising decision", "Voice of America: Journalists see censorship in Ukraine's proposed media laws", "Journalists See Specter of Censorship in Ukraine's Proposed Media Law", " " ", " . The comedy series Svaty ("In-laws"), in which Zelenskyy appeared, was banned in Ukraine in 2017,[44] but unbanned in March 2019. Prior to this, Bohdan had been the lawyer of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi. We will not forgive. Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak is convinced that by their heroic struggle against Russian aggression, Ukrainians have reminded the world of the true values of democracy and freedom, which always prevail. [262], In a 2014 interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that he would have liked to pay a visit to Crimea, but would avoid it because "armed people are there". [79] On 22 April, U.S. president Donald Trump congratulated Zelenskyy on his victory over the telephone. Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr., represented Delaware for 36 years in the U.S. Senate before becoming the 47th and current Vice President of the United States. [275][276] In April 2019, he stated that he was not against a Ukrainian language quota (on radio and TV), although he noted they could be tweaked. [80][81] European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker and European Council president Donald Tusk also issued a joint letter of congratulations and stated that the European Union (EU) will work to speed up the implementation of the remainder of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area. [58] He said he wished to restore trust in politicians, "to bring professional, decent people to power" and to "change the mood and timbre of the political establishment". I would very much like to answer this question. It's been a rough first year as vice president for Kamala Harris.