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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UK spy chief reveals new estimate of Russia's massive losses in Ukraine

The latest estimates appear to be significantly higher than figures published earlier this month by independent Russian media outlets Mediazona and Meduza that estimated 352,000 Russian men between the ages of 18 and 59 have been killed since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukraine war latest: Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter warning of Ukraine's critical missile defense shortages

Key developments on May 27: * Zelensky sends Trump urgent letter warning of Ukraine's critical missile defense shortages * Ukraine fails to pass IMF-backed reforms, despite millions of dollars on the line * Ukraine to intensify middle strike drone campaign as Fedorov unveils 'logistical lockdown' against Russia * Pope Leo condemns Russian strikes on Ukraine, calls for end to 'sharp intensification' of war President Volodymyr Zelensky sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump warning abo

At site of Russia's Oreshnik strike, Putin's propaganda lies in ruins

In a dusty industrial estate in the city of Bila Tserkva, a Ukrainian grandmother searches through the smouldering ruins of her storage unit for her harvest of potatoes. Two days earlier it had been hit with what is supposed to be one of Russia's most fearsome weapons — an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). "It sounded like thunder, a very long, drawn-out thunder. And then there were six explosions in a row," Nadiia, a Bila Tserkva resident who declined to give her last name

The impact site of an Oreshnik ballistic missile strike in Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, on May 25, 2026.
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