FROM PLAYING PRESIDENT ON TV TO LEADING UKRAINE AS THE REAL DEAL THIS SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION FOUND FAME IN HIS COUNTRY’S DARKEST HOUR.

PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY. JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.

ZELENSKYY WAS BORN IN UKRAINE BUT GREW UP SPEAKING RUSSIAN.

AND WHILE HE’S LICENSED AS AN ATTORNEY HIS FIRST CAREER WAS IN ENTERTAINMENT.

THE COMEDIAN-TURNED-SITCOM-STAR WAS A ROOKIE POLITICIAN WHEN HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT ON AN ANTI-CORRUPTION PLATFORM IN 2018.

THINGS WERE TENSE AT THE TIME–AFTER RUSSIA’S INVASION AND ANNEXATION OF CRIMEA SO ZELENSKY WON THE ELECTION ON A PLATFORM PROMISING PEACE. AND YET THREE YEARS LATER RUSSIA INVADES UKRAINE, AND HE’S ON THE FRONTLINES OF WAR.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT PUTIN HAS FRAMED UKRAINE AS A NAZI STATE IN PROPAGANDA EVEN THOUGH ZELENSKYY IS IN FACT JEWISH.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO MEDIA ZELENSKYY HAS DEMONSTRATED FAR MORE SKILL.

WHEN THE US OFFERED HIM SAFE TRANSPORT OUT OF THE COUNTRY, HE RESPONDED SAYING, “I NEED AMMUNITION NOT A RIDE.”

AFTER STAYING IN KYIV–UKRAINE’S CAPITAL–TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE OTHER CITIZENS ZELENSKYY QUICKLY BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL ICON.

ALL THIS MAKING PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY.