Hours after the start of Russia's military operation against Kiev, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told European Union leaders during a phone call that this might be the last time they saw him alive.
So what is the story of Zelensky, who surprised everyone with his courage by declaring that he took off his civilian clothes to put on a military uniform and carry his weapon to join his soldiers in the defense of their country?
Upbringing and family
January 25, 1978: Volodymyr Oleksandrovich Zelensky was born into a Jewish family in Kryvyi Rih, a Russian-speaking region in southeastern Ukraine.
His father, Oleksandr Zelensky, is Professor and Head of the Department of Cybernetics and Computers at the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics.
His mother, Rimma Zelenska, was an engineer.
His grandfather, Semyon Ivanovich Zelensky, served in the Red Army in the 57th Mechanized Guards Division during World War II.
Simeon's father and three brothers were killed in the Holocaust.
Before attending primary school, Zelensky lived for 4 years in the Mongolian city of Erdent, where his father worked.
At the age of 16, Zelensky passed the test of English as a foreign language and received an education scholarship to study in Israel, but his father did not allow him to go.
Zelensky later received a law degree from the Kryvyi Rih Institute of Economics, but did not continue to work in the legal field.
Zelensky speaks Russian and English.
art track
Zelensky preferred his artistic path after winning a television art competition.
Zelensky began his practice of theatrical art at the university, to emerge in the mid-nineties as the leader of a dance-entertainment troupe whose performances are now broadcast on one of the most popular television programs in Ukraine.
2003: He co-founded a successful TV production team called "Kvartal 95".
At the beginning of the millennium, Zelensky took over the management of a company specializing in the production of entertainment content for television channels and began producing and presenting entertaining social television series that dealt with political topics in a comedic manner.
2009: He participated in the movie "Love in the Big City" in 3 parts, then continued his cinematic career with the movie (Office Romance).
2012: Participated in the movie "Rzhevsky Versus Napoleon".
2012: Played a leading role in the movie (8 First Dates) and the sequel that was produced in 2015 and 2016.
Zelensky worked mostly in Russian-language productions and his first Ukrainian-language role was the romantic comedy I, You, He, She, which appeared on Ukraine screens in December 2018.
The first version of the script was written in Ukrainian, but it was translated into Russian by Lithuanian actress Agni Grodeto, and then the film was dubbed into Ukrainian.
"servant of the people"
November 2015: The first season of “Servant of the People” started, the second season in October 2017, and the third season in March 2019.
In the series, Zelensky embodied the role of a simple history teacher, as he gradually climbed the social ladder until he became president of the republic by chance, after the spread of a video tape showing him using profanity against corruption.
March 31, 2018: After the success of the series, Zelensky turned to politics, registered a political party in the name of the television series with the Ministry of Justice and announced his candidacy for the presidential elections.
Outgoing Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko commented on Zelensky's campaign before the start of the election campaign for the second round of Ukraine's presidency, saying: "The presidential term of 5 years is not a farce that we can overcome if it is not funny, and it is also not a horror movie that is easy to stop."
"I want to remind everyone that this is not a joke, it is an election for the position of commander in chief," he added.
During his election campaign, Zelensky told a group of journalists: "Yes, I feel that there are some similarities between me and French President Emmanuel Macron .. not only in terms of appearance, but in the way we perceive the world."
Volodymyr Zelensky campaigned without propaganda or gatherings.
Only the magic of the TV comic series and the influence of social networks capable of reaching millions of mobile phones enabled this actor to remove a president brought to power by a popular revolution (Petro Poroshenko).
Zelensky's wife recounted what happened on New Year's Eve to the Ukrainian version of the BBC website, saying: "I knew he intended to run, but I didn't know that he would announce his candidacy on New Year's Eve. We were skiing in France, we welcomed the year. Quietly, we drank champagne and went to bed. In the morning I woke up to the clamor of social networks interacting with his candidacy.. I was very surprised, and when I asked him he told me: I forgot to tell you.
President's promises
Unlike his predecessor, Zelensky avoided making any political promises or positions with the East or the West.
One of Zelensky's presidential campaign promises was that he would serve only one term (5 years).
- The only time he touched on incendiary politics, Zelensky said that he would keep his country's western orientation, but would not take a step such as joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) until after it held a referendum.
He placed on top of his priorities the recovery of about 170 members of the Ukrainian army who were captured by Russia or those loyal to it in eastern Ukraine.
Zelensky promised to open direct negotiations with Russia to stop the crushing war that his country entered with the Moscow-backed separatists in the east of the country following the Orange Revolution that overthrew the pro-eastern government.
- April 21, 2019: Despite his simplicity and modest social decline, Zelensky was able to reach the post of president of the country after he achieved in the second round of the elections an unprecedented sweep by obtaining more than 73% of the votes, while the outgoing president was satisfied with no more than 25 %.
July 2019: Then-Republican US President Donald Trump asked Zelensky for a "favour" in a phone call between the two presidents.
Trump asked Zelensky to investigate corruption charges against Biden, who was then the Democratic favorite to win the US presidency.
In return, Trump promised Zelensky to host him in Washington and provide military support to Ukraine.
October 2021: Zelensky's name appears in the Pandora Papers - the great leak of documents exposing the hidden wealth of many of the world's rich and leaders.
The documents revealed that Zelensky and those close to him control a network of companies established in tax havens, but Zelensky said that the documents did not bring anything new, and he denied that he or any of his company members - Kvartal 95 - were involved in money laundering.
February 16, 2022: In light of the escalation of the crisis between Moscow and Kiev, Zelensky tried to reunite the Ukrainians by celebrating a day of national unity, and he also made several visits to soldiers stationed on the front lines.
Zelensky and Reagan
Zelensky is the second most famous case of personal transition from the world of art and acting to government after US President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), coming from an artistic experience in Hollywood studios.
There is a big difference between Zelensky and Reagan. The latter needed to spend 10 years in politics - as governor of California - before running for the presidency in the name of the Republican Party and defeating veteran Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter.
Zelensky is a proponent of e-government and unity among the Ukrainian and Russian-speaking population of the country.
Zelensky uses social media a lot, especially Instagram.
His party achieved a landslide victory in early legislative elections held shortly after his inauguration as president.
Zelensky is the first Jew to hold the position of president in this European country, and some accuse him of playing the role of the front in an agenda backed by the Zionist lobby and Israel.
- The largest shareholder in the capital of the TV channel that broadcasts the series “The Servant of the People” is Ihor Kolomoisky, who resides in Israel.
- Kolomoisky, who was drawn to attention after the surprise result of the elections, did not hesitate to announce his readiness to return to Ukraine to settle there after the final results of the elections were revealed. He also did not wait for the arrival of his spoiled representative.
Just as a sharp dispute between him and outgoing President Petro Poroshenko was the reason for his leaving Ukraine and settling in Israel, many consider Zelensky's victory a mere cunning revenge on the part of Kolomoisky, especially since two days before the second round of the presidential elections, he came out in statements to the press to describe Poroshenko as a puppet that facilitates manipulate it.
Zelensky, a month before the date of the second round of the elections, came out in one of his rare statements, denying him the accusation of being linked to Kolomoisky's agenda, and said in the program "Dialogue with a presidential candidate" on the Ukrainian TV channel ICTV, "We have no agreements or signatures. Or notes that I serve the interests of my master Kolomoisky. He is not my master, and I have no master at all."
Married his girlfriend
Zelensky is married to his former high school classmate Elena Kyachko, and they have a son and a daughter.
Zelensky did not study with Elena in the same semester, only the same high school brought them together.
Since they lived in the same area, their encounters were frequent, but fleeting.
"He's a very open person, if he has certain feelings he shows them transparently, and for an 18-year-old girl, it's great to feel loved. I wasn't ready for any relationship, but he worked."
After her husband won the first round of elections, and before she became the first lady of Ukraine, she told the BBC envoy that she was afraid of politics, and wished she could continue her life normally if Zelensky won the presidency.
Although she is an engineer, Elena Kyachko preferred to give up her own career path and share her husband's artistic work.
Zelensky and Kiachko spend most of their time together, including playing sports, especially cycling, and they go to the gym together.
When the BBC asked Zelensky's wife who she thought was closest to her, Melania Trump, the mother of Michelle Obama, she said it was Michelle.
"It seems to me more humane, and that's exactly what Volodymyr is trying to introduce into Ukrainian politics."
The Zelensky family enlists the help of the family, or specifically his wife, as well as a nanny to take care of their two children.
As for his food choices, the Ukrainian president loves meat, fish and salad.
"He is not fickle, loves everything and is easy to please."
With his family, Zelensky speaks Russian, while the Ukrainian language is considered alien to them.
Kyachko said that the new president is making great efforts to learn the language of the country he will head, because Russian is the dominant language in the region from which they come.
Kyachko added: "I heard the Ukrainian language for the first time in the second grade and learned it from the teacher.. Volodymyr is trying to deepen his knowledge of the Ukrainian language, and we are looking for a teacher to help him with this, and I think he will overcome the problem of speaking pace when he uses Ukrainian."