Just a few years ago, Volodymyr Zelensky was a comedian and actor playing Ukraine’s president on television. Now, he’s a real-life wartime leader directing his country in its fight against a Russian invasion. So in this Squiz Shortcut, we look at Zelensky's early life, his path into politics, and how he's galvanised Ukrainians - and the West - behind resisting Russia.

Squiz Shortcuts is your backstory to the big news stories.

Squiz recommends:

Watching: Zelensky on Dancing with the Stars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlJywp7E3Gw

Reading: 'The Betrayal of Volodymyr Zelensky' - The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/12/zelensky-ukraine-impeachment/602905/

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