If voters in Ukraine elect television star Volodymyr Zelenskiy president April 21, as seems almost certain, that should please the Kremlin, which made clear its dislike for incumbent Petro Poroshenko. Recall, however, that champagne corks popped in Moscow in November 2016 when Donald Trump unexpectedly won. Zelenskiy could disappoint the Russians in the same way Trump has failed to deliver hoped-for changes in U.S. policy toward Moscow.
2019 Presidential Election
OP-ED
Steven Pifer: How Ukraine’s comedian-candidate could disappoint the Kremlin
Comedic actor Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the frontrunner for Ukrainian presidency, stands during the singing of the Ukrainian anthem at a concert in Dnipro on March 26, 2019.
