Ukraine’s Russia crisis: Ex-comedian President Zelensky is up against former spy Putin

Here's everything you need to know about how former spy Vladmir Putin pushed ex-comedian Volodymyr Zelensky into the presidency.

Reel world is vastly different from the real world for all actors. They can mostly fancy about reel becoming real. Volodymyr Zelensky might have thought he belonged to the league of exceptions when he became Ukraine’s president in 2019. Not too many actors have seen that much success in the world of politics Donald Trump and Ronald Regan of the US are some recent examples.

For spies, brutal realities of nationalism are the world they operate in. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin lived in a contrastingly different world from which Zelensky came into politics. And theirs has been a tussle between a hardcore ruthlessly nationalist politician and a comedian-turned-political greenhorn.

Zelensky lived a reel life in the politically turbulent space of Ukraine when he ran for the presidential election in 2019. Till then, Zelensky was best known for his satirical television series, Servants of the People. He played the character of a teacher who accidentally became the president of Ukraine.

The TV series had established him as a comedian-actor in Ukraine. Zelensky was a millionaire thanks to his production company and had millions of followers on social media. But in civil war-ridden Ukraine, Zelensky decided to take on business-turned-politician Petro Poroshenko in the presidential election.

BBC reported that Zelensky avoided discussing serious issues during his election campaign and depended on posting light comic videos on social media as part of his canvassing plan. On one occasion, he left then Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko and a candidate in the election to ‘debate’ with an empty podium. Volodymyr Zelensky did not turn up for the televised debate.

Zelensky secured almost three-fourths of votes, catapulting the comedian-actor with no experience whatsoever in politics and administration to the top post in Ukraine. On the other side of the border, in the east, was a seasoned Vladimir Putin.

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