From Comedian to President to Statesman to Wartime Leader to the Defender of Western Democracy
By Maurice Evlyn-Bufton, CEO, Armstrong Wolfe
3rd March 2022
Volodymyr Zelensky was born January 25, 1978 in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, USSR (now in Ukraine). A career comedian who was elected president of Ukraine in 2019. Although he was a political novice, Zelensky’s anti-corruption platform won him widespread support, and his significant online following translated into a solid electoral base. He won a landslide victory over incumbent Petro Poroshenko in the second round of the 2019 presidential election.
Pre-April 2019 Volodymyr Zelensky was a well-known Ukrainian comedian, yet within a thousand days, he would find himself being met with a standing ovation from diplomats as he addressed the European Parliament via video as the President of Ukraine, telling those in attendance that his country is “fighting for survival”. It is an extraordinary journey, inspirational, unbelievable. “We are fighting for our land and our freedom,” Zelensky said, causing the EU translator on the English language feed to choke up with emotion. “This is our motivation, but we are fighting also to be equal members of Europe” Zelensky added. “I believe that today we are showing everybody that’s exactly what we are.” He raised his fist in defiance, they stood in admiration and applause. This was a reaction not just to what was said, or how it was said, but by whom it was said, the man himself and not a President.
