Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the current president of Ukraine, serving since 2019. Before entering politics, he was a successful entertainer. His presidency has been largely defined by the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, particularly the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022. He has been a key figure in leading Ukraine's response to the invasion and garnering international support.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1997: KVN Major League Win

In 1997, Zelenskyy's united Ukrainian team "Zaporizhzhia-Kryvyi Rih-Transit" won in KVN's Major League.

2018: Most recent Teletriumph Award year

Teletriumph 2018 remains the most recent award year; the awards were cancelled in 2019 due to reorganizational efforts, and again the following year due to COVID-19.

March 2019: Svaty Unbanned in Ukraine

In March 2019, the comedy series Svaty ("In-laws"), which Zelenskyy co-produced, was unbanned in Ukraine.

April 2019: Election as President of Ukraine

In April 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy won the second round of the Ukrainian presidential election with 73% of the vote, defeating Petro Poroshenko. He received congratulations from leaders such as Andrzej Duda, Emmanuel Macron, and Donald Trump, along with a joint letter from Jean Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk who stated the EU will work to speed up the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

July 2019: Servant of the People party wins majority

In the 21st of July 2019 parliamentary election, Zelenskyy's political party, Servant of the People, won the first single-party majority in modern Ukrainian history in parliament, with 43 percent of the party-list vote, gaining 254 of the 424 seats.

2019: Became President of Ukraine

In 2019, Volodymyr Zelenskyy became the sixth president of Ukraine.

2019: Teletriumph Awards cancelled

In 2019, the Teletriumph Awards were cancelled due to reorganizational efforts.

January 2021: Referendum Law Reformed

In January 2021, parliament passed a bill updating and reforming Ukraine's referendum laws, which the Constitutional Court had declared unconstitutional in 2018, fulfilling one of Zelenskyy's campaign promises.

May 2021: Highest Trust Rating

In May 2021, a poll by the Rating Group gave Zelenskyy the highest trust rating out of all Ukrainian presidents.

September 2021: Passage of Oligarch Bill

In September 2021, the bill creating a public registry of Ukraine's oligarchs, which was originally submitted to the Verkhovna Rada in June 2021, was passed into law.

2021: Served on UTVA Expert Council

In 2021, Zelenskyy served on the "Expert Council" of the Ukrainian Television Academy (UTVA) to oversee restructuring efforts and discussions for a new nomination process for the Teletriumph Awards.

March 2022: Visit from European Prime Ministers and Deepfake Disinformation Attack

On 15 March 2022, the Prime Ministers of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia visited Kyiv to meet with Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a display of support. On 16 March 2022, a deepfake video appeared online showing Zelenskyy calling on Ukrainian citizens to surrender to Russia.

March 2022: Awarded the Order of the White Lion

On 7 March 2022, Czech President Miloš Zeman decided to award Volodymyr Zelenskyy with the highest state award of the Czech Republic, the Order of the White Lion, for "his bravery and courage in the face of Russia's invasion."

July 2022: Extinct species named after Zelenskyy

On 20 July 2022, an extinct species of feather star, Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi, was named after Zelenskyy "for his courage and bravery in defending free Ukraine."

December 2022: Visit to the United States

On 21 December 2022, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the United States on his first foreign trip since the war began. He met with President Joe Biden and addressed Congress, and the United States announced they would supply Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

2022: Person of the Year

In 2022, British newspaper Financial Times and US magazine Time both selected Zelenskyy as Person of the Year.

2022: Teletriumph Awards indefinitely suspended

In 2022, as the television academy was finalizing its award nominations, Russia invaded Ukraine, and the Teletriumph Awards were indefinitely suspended.