Politics

President Volodymyr Zelensky in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, on April 23, 2026.
Politics

From showman to commander-in-chief: Zelensky's struggle to balance war, governance, and trust

by Kateryna Denisova

Riding a wave of political momentum in 2019, Volodymyr Zelensky, a showman turned wartime leader, could have hardly imagined the path his presidency would take. Some argue that Zelensky's 2019 election was less of an endorsement of his political platform, a populist one, rather a rejection of the old entrenched elite seen as ineffective and corrupt. Years later, Zelensky still faces the domestic challenges that confronted his predecessors — issues he once promised to resolve. On the internatio

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Ukraine war latest: Russian brigade that committed war crimes in Bucha hit by Ukrainian drone strike, military says

Key developments on May 30-31: * Russian brigade that committed war crimes in Bucha hit by Ukrainian drone strike, military says * Ukraine reportedly strikes oil infrastructure, tanker in western Russia, occupied Crimea * Key Russian oil pipeline node hit in massive Ukrainian drone barrage * Ukrainian drones control airspace over Russian logistic routes in occupied Luhansk Oblast, 3rd Army Corps says Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) struck the training grounds and military camps of

News from occupied Ukraine: fuel rationing in Crimea, Storm Shadows 'destroy' Russian targets in Luhansk Oblast

This weekly update from the Kyiv Independent aims to shed light on the situation facing Ukrainians living under Russian occupation and the ever-tightening control of information imposed by the Kremlin. Key news as of May 31: * Crimea introduces fuel rationing amid supply crisis caused by Ukrainian strikes * IAEA reports communications blackout at occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant * Human Rights Watch condemns Russia's unlawful property seizures in occupied Ukraine * Ukraine is usin

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