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Who is Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy: From TV star to wartime president
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a successful TV comedian before he made his political debut. He shot to limelight with his role of a foul-mouthed teacher who became president in the hit series Servant of the People
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, a former TV star and comedian, is now the face of Ukraine's defence against Russian forces. The 44-year-old president is leading his country's spirited resistance. Be it fiery attacks on the Russians or an emotional speech before the European parliament, in which he asked the power bloc to prove it stood with the Ukrainians, Zelenskyy has emerged as a towering leader to whom the 44-million-strong population of Ukraine looks.
Read: Sandbags and soldiers as Ukraine's Zelenskyy gives interview under siege
Here are 10 things to know about Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
> Born to Jewish parents on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih (in the erstwhile USSR) Zelenskyy earned a law degree but didn't pursue the profession.
> At the age of 17, he joined a local comedy team which won a competition. There was no looking back for him then.
> Among the roles he essayed, a role on a TV show - Servant of the People - shot Zelenskyy into the limelight. He played the role of a foul-mouthed teacher who becomes the president of Ukraine after a video of his rant against corruption goes viral.
Watch the trailer here:
> Zelenskyy also won the first season of Ukraine's version of ‘Dancing With The Stars’ in 2006. In a video which is doing the rounds of the internet, the actor-president impressed everyone with his dance moves.
Watch the video here:
>Zelenskyy started his political career with the party Servant of the People, which was founded by the members of the TV production company that produced the iconic television series.
> In 2019, he became the president after defeating Petro Poroshenko in a run-off with more than 70 per cent of the popular vote.
> Putin and his aides have been repeatedly accusing the Ukrainian government with terms like ‘neo Nazis'. Zelenskyy has been fighting back those claims by invoking his grandfather, who fought for the Soviets against Nazi Germany.
Read: Zelenskyy asks ‘what's the point’, recalls history as Russians bomb Babyn Yar in Kyiv
> Zelenskyy has formally applied for Ukraine to be a member of the European Union. During a speech in European Parliament, an emotional president asked EU to prove its support to Kyiv.
> Zelenskyy's family members died in the Holocaust unleashed by the Nazi Germany.
> The Ukrainian president also speaks Russian fluently. He even stayed in Mongolia in his early years.
