There was great jubilance across the country once comedian-turned-politician Volodymyr Zelensky was elected to the Ukrainian presidency in April 2019. As he took office, Ukraine had been engaged in a war with Russia for over five years, decimating the country’s economy and killing tens of thousands of people. The newly-elected president wanted to end this conflict. Zelensky’s victory was seen as a rejection of the country’s traditional elite for failing to end the Donbas war, revive the economy, or tackle widespread corruption. Zelensky has dedicated much of his presidency on ending the war with Russia, but at what cost? His methods in negotiation risks endangering Ukraine’s future permanently.
