Zelensky is a vivid and concise biography of Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky, covering his background and TV career to Russia's invasion.

Volodymyr Zelensky: From Comedian to President – The True Story of Courage, Leadership, and Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Perfect for readers searching for a biography of Volodymyr Zelensky and a brief modern history of Ukraine and its troubled relationship with Russia, this powerful narrative follows Zelensky’s extraordinary journey from TV comedian to Ukrainian president and wartime leader.

Set against the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, it offers a gripping story of Kyiv under siege that takes you inside the presidential bunker, the streets of a defiant capital, and the emotional decisions of a leader facing one of the greatest crises in modern European politics.

Blending vivid storytelling with clear, accessible analysis, this book is both an inspirational story about Ukraine's president and an essential current guide to European geopolitics. It explores how Zelensky became a symbol of the democracy and freedom struggle, how Ukraine's resistance reshaped the world’s view of Eastern Europe, and why his leadership now stands alongside other world leaders in crisis.

If you’ve read powerful biographies of Vladimir Putin or broader books about Russia and Eastern Europe — this volume gives you the other side of the story: the man at the heart of Ukraine's war leadership and democracy.

Inside this book, you’ll discover:

• How a popular entertainer became the Ukrainian president the world now watches.
• The key moments that turned a reluctant politician into Ukraine's war leader.
• A clear, engaging Ukraine conflict 2022 history that makes complex geopolitics easy to understand.
• An inspiring true story of courage that shows what modern political leadership can look like under fire.

Whether you follow world affairs closely or are just beginning to explore the history of Ukraine today, this modern political leadership biography will inform, move, and inspire you.

Add this definitive Zelensky biography to your reading now and discover the remarkable story behind Ukraine’s fight for freedom.

About the authors

STEVEN DERIX is a journalist at the Dutch newspaper NRC. From 2014 to 2020, he was NRC correspondent for Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

MARINA SHELKUNOVA studied journalism and was a researcher and coordinator for NRC and De Standaard.

Extract

In April 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky was elected as the sixth President of Ukraine, with nearly three-quarters of the vote.

One month later, the Russian President attended the World Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. It had been five years since Russia’s annexation of Crimea but daily skirmishes between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists were still commonplace in eastern Ukraine.

‘Why did you not congratulate Volodymyr Zelenksy when he became President?’ asked the interviewer.

Putin breathed a heavy sigh. The Russian officials and business magnates in the room playfully nudged one another: this was going to be good...

Putin gave the enormous hall an almost pitying look and waited until the sniggering had died down... ‘Listen, I do not know this man. I hope that we can meet one day. As far as I can tell, he’s amazing at what he does, he’s a marvellous actor.'

Putin continued: 'But seriously: it's one thing to play a person, but quite another thing to be that person.'

Laughter and generous applause filled the room.

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