When Ukraine’s comedian-turned-presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky swept the election a year ago, he vowed to uproot corruption, jail the country’s top crooks, stop Russia’s war against Ukraine, and attract billions of dollars in foreign direct investment. A year after his May 20, 2019, inauguration, none of these grand promises are even close to being fulfilled—and many Ukrainians are losing patience. Beyond his domestic challenges, Zelensky faces mounting pressures outside the country, where he must contend with a preoccupied West and a powerful Russia. If he cannot meet his campaign promises as well as offer a clear and committed Western-oriented reform agenda, Zelensky may lose the international partners Ukraine desperately needs to avoid falling back into Russia’s arms.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
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This handout picture taken and released by Ukrainian President press-service on May 13, 2020, shows the President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) attending the Parliament's extraordinary hearing in Kyiv.
