War in Ukraine: in his hometown, the population behind Volodymyr Zelensky
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on screen in the European Parliament, March 1.
AFP - JOHN THYS
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Volodymyr Zelensky has called for his country's " immediate
" integration
into the European Union.
This Monday, March 1, the Ukrainian Parliament shared an image on Twitter, showing the Head of State signing Ukraine's application for entry into the EU.
A neophyte in politics when he was elected president in 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky, the actor who became head of state, also took on the role of warlord, who displays calm and determination in the face of the Russian offensive.
Report from Kryvyi Rih.
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From our special correspondents in Kryvyi Rih
,
Anastasia Becchio
and
Boris Vichith
►Follow our live on the Russian invasion in Ukraine
Filter dams at the entrance to the city.
Queues in front of banks.
If the fighting still seems far away, in Kryvyi Rih, a mining town 350 km south-east of Kiev, daily life is not really the same.
Everyone is riveted to information coming from Mariupol, Kharkiv or Kiev from where President Zelensky continues to publish videos.
A retiree who had a negative
preconception
about him has now changed his mind.
"
He's an actor, a comedian, and I don't really understand why he got into politics.
But now, I see that public opinion supports it all over the world.
So far, he wins.
»
"A national hero"
Conversely, Dmytro, 40, is an early fan.
After laughing at his sketches in the city's café-theatres in the early 2000s, today he salutes the head of state who had to put on the costume of warlord: "
The way he behaves deserves great respect.
He became a national hero.
He is doing very well.
I think others in his place would have picked up their belongings and taken to their heels, without a fight
”.
Before the Russian military operation, more than one out of two Ukrainians believed that in the event of an attack, Volodymyr Zelensky would not make the weight.
Today, according to a survey by the Rating Group institute, his popularity rate is over 90%.
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Russia
Ukraine
Volodymyr Zelensky