Russia-Ukraine War
Until 3 years ago Zalansky was a comedian.
Today he is trying to stop Putin
The Jewish comedian who played the president of Ukraine on a television program swept the masses in the 2019 elections in hopes of bringing peace to the east of the country.
Instead, he found himself conducting a campaign to contain one of the most powerful armies in the world.
"Protect our country"
Guy Elster
26/02/2022
Saturday, February 26, 2022, 9:10 p.m.
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In the video: Zlansky in a video from the streets of Kiev: "We are all here" (Photo: Zlansky)
Volodymyr Zlansky approached the podium, prepared to give a speech to the citizens of Ukraine.
"Finally, a united Ukraine, this is our victory," he declared.
That was in 2019, in the final scene of the series starring "Servant of the People", in which he played a teacher who manages to win the presidency of Ukraine thanks to a viral video about the need to eliminate government corruption.
Three years after his sweeping election victory in which he promised to end the conflict in the east of the country, the Jewish comedian is embroiled in an all-out war with Russian President Vladimir Putin seeking to overthrow his country and eliminate it.
Since the invasion began on Thursday, Zalansky has found himself standing several times behind the podium, this time in life itself.
He knows Putin has marked him as the number one target, but he refuses to evacuate the country and is left to fight with his countrymen who are waging a hair-raising war.
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Refused to evacuate to the US. Zlansky in a video from the streets of Kiev (Photo: official website, no)
The last time Zalanski, a law graduate who moved into entertainment, made headlines around the world was in adverse circumstances as well.
He became embroiled in the Ukraine-Gate affair in 2019, when then-President of the United States Donald Trump asked him in a phone call to investigate the business in the country of the son of his Democratic rival Joe Biden, ostensibly gifting it further military assistance to Kiev.
Trump was on trial for dismissing it in Congress, but won by the Senate.
Zalansky, 44, who was born in the east of the country to a Russian-speaking Jewish family, is not recognized by Putin as the legitimate president of Ukraine, and is described by him as leading a "neo-Nazi" leadership.
This is despite the fact that many members of Zalanski's family perished in the Holocaust and even fought in the Red Army during World War II.
Today he stands almost alone in front of one of the most powerful armies in the world, in the largest conflict in Europe since that war, and he refuses to surrender despite the inferiority in power relations.
He even refused the United States' offer to evacuate him from Ukraine, choosing to stay in it and inspire a fighting spirit among its citizens.
The appearance of his life.
Zlansky on the front line in Donetsk, this month (Photo: Reuters)
"We will not lay down our arms, defend our country," Zlansky declared outside his office this morning, while one of his cheering videos.
He, and many others in Ukraine and around the world, hope that this show - the show of his life - will end well.
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