Nevertheless, these elections have also been influenced by the global coronavirus pandemic, as voter turnout was very low in comparison to previous local elections in 2015, mainly due to health concerns and a demoralised electorate. Her name is Natalia Slastina, and she called the president zero. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor-comedian now leading his country's defense against Russian invaders, says he does not shield his children from the horrors of war . Furthermore, questions about his Jewishness have exploded into the international consciousness: Has his Jewish background put him or his fellow Ukrainian Jews in more danger? Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. 10: Around the Cabinet in 49 Days, Enduring Denialism: A Threat to Sustainable Peace in Colombia. "The biggest risk for Ukraine and the biggest risk for the sovereignty of our state is destabilization within our state," Zelensky said. If the EU could speak, what would it say? So he says right now, a lot of critics of Zelenskyy are saying with Russian troops at the borders, it's not the right time to call for Zelenskyy to resign. Despite his campaign promises, no progress has been made in fighting corruption. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set Climate Change, Hurricanes and US Security, Opinion: Churn in No. And Mr. Zelensky, a comedian for most of his life, is in over his head. (2022). Published Feb. 3, 2020. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Meanwhile, the data show that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky is held in higher esteem than ever among Americans, 60 per cent of whom view him somewhat or very favourably. We are here. His fathers father, Semyon, served in the Soviet Red Army during World War II; Semyons father and brothers were all murdered in the Holocaust. Today, though, as of last week, a poll shows that 30% only support this president. Boryana specialises in international affairs, and political instability and international security, namely terrorism and extremism, insurgencies, regional and global conflicts and has expertise in Public and Private International Law. 9. "Partisan divides are more evident when it comes to assessments of world leaders other than Putin," Pew says. But once. I'm now getting lapped by 5-year-olds (laughter). The biggest risk for Ukraine and the biggest risk for the sovereignty of our state is destabilization within our state, Zelensky said. A young couple is holding hands. We wanted to hear what the other side of things is. A former movie producer and longtime friend was made chief of staff, joining other friends and confidants of Mr. Zelensky in wielding outsize power. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. According to opinion polls, the 44-year-old has performed poorly on the domestic political stage since his election three years ago but the jury is still out on his response to Russia's recent aggression. The understanding that social networks are not propaganda tools but a tool for direct communication has given Zelensky a 90% approval rating. That said, he seems to have embraced his new role without hesitation. Throughout the conflict, he has . She is 41-year-old Ina Kulig (ph). A former actor used to the sound of applause, Mr. Zelensky is notoriously thin-skinned when it comes to criticism and challenging questions. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Yet the truth is more prosaic. Why didnt his obituaries say so? A former actor used to the sound of applause, Mr. Zelensky is notoriously thin-skinned when it comes to criticism and challenging questions. UNIDENTIFIED INTERPRETER: When he was becoming president, he said, I will stop the war. Get full access to all features within our Business Solutions. (Ukrainian presidential press) Before Russia invaded his country, Volodymyr Zelensky had an approval rating within Ukraine of around 32 per cent. His approval rating is in the low 40s. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks to the U.S. Congress on March 16. ESTRIN: And he rises to stardom in this show, and he's elected to president because, you know, everyone sees this video. Well, I met someone in the street the other day who seemed to sum up why people are critical of him. The Ukrainians surprised us all. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. Survey characteristics refer to the latest survey, which was conducted throughout Ukraine excluding territories of Crimea and Donbas not controlled by the government. What they're saying: "In the month since the start of a bloody defensive war with Russia, Zelensky has mobilized Ukrainian forces to repel the invasion and urged Western powers the United States in particular to provide his country with more arms and aid," Pew said. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This would complicate Zelenskyys ambitions for another term in 2024, so the political landscape could change drastically. The translator was heard pausing and choking up while conveying Zelensky's words. International Republican Institute. And his party - get this - is called Servant of the People. Hey there. Positioning himself as the antithesis of Poroshenko, Zelensky ran in the presidential election as a populist politician who defends the interests of the people against the ruling class. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Some 72% of Americans have either some or a lot of confidence in Zelenskyy to do the right thing regarding international affairs, according to the Pew Research Center a much higher number than for other world leaders, including U.S. President Biden. He was perhaps best known for his role as Vasily Petrovich Goloborodko in the Ukrainian television show Servant of the People . ESTRIN: When he was running for president, he said he would fight nepotism. Sixty-two percent of Ukrainians dont want him to run for re-election, and if an election were held today, hed garner about 25 percent of the vote down from the 30 percent he easily won in the first round of the 2019 election. Despite early signs of progress, the newly elected President delivered no real reforms, and failed to handle relations with local leaders amid the global coronavirus pandemic. His new ministers are also rumored to have ties with former Ukrainian President Yanukovych, whose decision to suspend implementation of the association agreement between Ukraine and the EU led to the 2013-2014 Euromaidan revolution, and Viktor Medvedchuk, the leader of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform-for Life (OPFL). And that Jewish identity has been repeatedly seized on by enemies and rivals, and celebrated by Jewish supporters around the world. He has. Ms. Rudenko is a Ukrainian journalist and the chief editor of The Kyiv Independent. Who should I appoint for roles like the head of the Ukrainian FBI? Learn more about how Statista can support your business. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his iconic green T-shirt have become recognizable figures on the world stage in the weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine. The current conflict is more than one country taking over another; it is in the words of one U.S. official a shift in "the world order. At first, it seemed to be working. Furthermore, issues of ideological clarity, lack of reform progress and internal fragmentation have seriously damaged Servant of the Peoples political position. Others, like some of the ones skating in front of the office of the president, say they still support him. The senior researcher at the Museum of the Holocaust in Odessa, a city that was over a third Jewish in the 19th century, told The New York Times he was worried that antisemitism would be unleashed by the chaos of war., In a bizarre complication to the narrative, Putin has repeatedly said that his military operation is, Other historical figures whose Jewishness featured large in their national leadership include Benjamin Disraeli, the 19th-century British prime minister who was faced unrelenting antisemitism. Zelensky was born in a Russian-speaking area of eastern Ukraine to Jewish parents, a mother who was an engineer and a father who is a computer scientist. Over the course of a few years, Zelensky who is the first-ever Jewish president of Ukraine, a country with a long and complicated Jewish history has quickly become one of the most consequential and prominent Jewish world leaders in recent decades. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses for selfies with voters. President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses the members . News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services. August 11, 2022. He is visibly irritated by traditional journalists: In November, this fractious approach led to unseemly confrontations at a news conference. Putin fared the worst of any head of state included in the survey, with only 6% of U.S. adults expressing confidence in him following his decision to invade Ukraine. Notably, Zelenskyy's domestic approval rating had dropped in the leadup to Russia's invasion, but a poll from inside Ukraine shows it has risen sharply in recent weeks. He says you can hear people criticizing the president in the streets, you know, even sometimes in the skating rink. And why is Russian Vladimir Putin suggesting that he is a Nazi? Zelensky's current level of support is higher than it's ever been since Ratings Sociological Group started polling Ukrainians about the president in May of 2019. (Presidency of Ukraine/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images). [Graph]. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. That didn't happen. There are currently nearly 250,000 people in Ukraine's armed forces, which are vastly outnumbered and outgunned by Russia's. hide caption. And he had this very successful show on Ukrainian TV, a political sitcom called "Servant Of The People. The study also found that 71.1% of Ukrainians believe the country is headed in the wrong direction, an increase from the 68.7% in July. But if it did come to that, does he trust Zelenskyy to defend Ukraine? Of note: Putin not only has the lowest recorded rating on the survey, he has "an all-time low in surveys going back nearly two decades," per Pew. Americans with more education, especially those with postgraduate degrees, are also more inclined to have confidence in the Ukrainian president. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. In 2019 the Verkhovnaya Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) passed an anti-corruption bill criminalising illegal state official enrichment practices. The United States War Against Russian Disinformation: Is the GEC Fit for Purpose? Pew found Zelensky most popular among older peoplewith an 86% confidence rate among people age 65 and older, compared to 63% among people age 18-29and more educated peoplewith an 82%. NATALIA SLASTINA: (Non-English language spoken). Zelensky and his wife Olena Zelenska at a polling station on election day in Kyiv, May 21, 2019. his domestic approval ratings were tanked . You only have access to basic statistics. The public was outraged, but Mr. Zelensky mumbled a disapproving comment and moved on. Do you approve or disapprove of the actions of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky? In 2019, several Ukrainian Jews told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that they were proud to see their country after its history of anti-Jewish pogroms and Soviet-era persecution elect a Jewish president. But now the threat is total: Up to 190,000 Russian troops have amassed near Ukraines borders and in separatist regions, and an invasion, bringing devastation and disaster, could come at any time. The presidents tense relationship with the press doesnt help, either. Do the public support the nurses strike? A Jew and a native Russian speaker, Volodymyr Oleksandrovich Zelensky was born on January 25th, 1978. 2022. The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has become the face of his country's spirited defense against Russian aggression. KELLY: A sampling of voices there from the skating rink next to Zelenskyy's office. He later batted down an evacuation offer from the United States. And now hes facing the prospect of a full-scale invasion by Russia. The Servant of the People party, which won a majority in the parliamentary elections in 2019, as well as President Zelensky, initially exhibited signs of real commitment to their reformist platforms. How can I be a Nazi? Zelensky said Thursday, without specifically mentioning his Jewishness. All rights reserved. He became the president of Ukraine on May 20th, 2019. He even had this campaign video where he asked people for ideas. That's the name of his TV show - so fictional president becomes real president. With more than 70 percent approval, . 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Instead of being comforted, the country was confused. The crisis continues. . In a bizarre complication to the narrative, Putin has repeatedly said that his military operation is an attempt to de-Nazify Ukraine. 33% of the 72% expressed a lot of confidence in Zelensky. The New Statesmans weekly environment email on the politics, business and culture of the climate and nature crises - in your inbox every Thursday.