This is the list of all presidents of Ukraine from 1991 till date, Including their terms In office, and political affiliations:
President | Term Start | Term End | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
Leonid Kravchuk | 5 December 1991 | 19 July 1994 | Independent |
Leonid Kuchma | 19 July 1994 | 23 January 2005 | Independent |
Viktor Yushchenko | 23 January 2005 | 25 February 2010 | Our Ukraine |
Viktor Yanukovych | 25 February 2010 | 22 February 2014 | Party of Regions |
Oleksandr Turchynov (Acting) | 23 February 2014 | 7 June 2014 | Fatherland |
Petro Poroshenko | 7 June 2014 | 20 May 2019 | Petro Poroshenko Bloc |
Volodymyr Zelenskyy | 20 May 2019 | Incumbent | Servant of the People |
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Who Was The First President of Ukraine?
Leonid Kravchuk was the first president of Ukraine, serving from December 1, 1991, to July 19, 1994. His time as president was the period when Ukraine became an independent country after the end of the Soviet Union.
However, Leonid Kravchuk was born on January 10, 1934, in a place called Żytyń Wielki, which was then in Poland but is now called Velykyi Zhytyn in Ukraine.
He went to Kiev T.H. Shevchenko State University and graduated in 1958. Kravchuk started his career as a political economist and soon became an important member of the Communist Party in Ukraine.
By July 1990, he was the chairman of the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet, making him the leader of Ukraine as the Soviet Union was falling apart. Kravchuk played an important part in making Ukraine independent.
After a failed coup in Moscow in August 1991, he began to support Ukrainian independence. On August 24, 1991, the Ukrainian parliament declared independence from the Soviet Union.
This was strongly supported by the Ukrainian people in a referendum on December 1, 1991, where more than 90% voted for independence. On the same day, Kravchuk was elected as the first president of an independent Ukraine.
During his presidency, Kravchuk faced many problems, like economic instability and the challenge of creating a national identity separate from the Soviet past.
One major decision during his time in office was transferring Ukraine’s nuclear weapons, which were the third largest in the world, to Russia.
This was done under the Budapest Memorandum, which had the support of the United States. Despite his early popularity, Kravchuk’s presidency was seen by economic difficulties and political struggles. This led to his defeat in the 1994 elections by Leonid Kuchma.
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Who Was The President Of Ukraine From 2014 To 2019?
Petro Oleksiiovych Poroshenko served as the President of Ukraine from June 7, 2014, to May 20, 2019. He became president after a tough time in Ukraine’s history, drawn by the 2014 Ukrainian revolution.
This revolution led to the removal of the previous president, Viktor Yanukovych. Poroshenko, a popular businessman and politician, became an important leader during this change, as people wanted stability and reform.
Poroshenko was born on September 26, 1965, in Bolhrad, Ukraine. He went to Taras Shevchenko National University, where he studied law and international relations.
Then he started his political career in 1998 when he was elected to the Ukrainian parliament. And, he has held several important roles, such as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
He was also very successful in business, especially in the candy industry, earning him the nickname “Chocolate King” because he owned Roshen, a major candy company in Ukraine.
Poroshenko was elected president in a special election on May 25, 2014, during a time of conflict in Eastern Ukraine and after Russia had taken over Crimea.
He won the election with over 54% of the vote. His presidency began on June 7, 2014. During his inauguration, he promised to restore Ukraine’s territorial integrity and work towards closer ties with the European Union.
However, the war in the Donbas region continued, with pro-Russian separatists declaring independence. He started military operations to fight the insurgents and sought international support, including sanctions against Russia.
Poroshenko’s government also focused on fighting corruption, improving the economy, and integrating Ukraine more with Europe.
Despite some successes, Poroshenko’s presidency had many problems, including ongoing corruption, economic troubles, and falling public approval ratings.
By the 2019 presidential election, many people were unhappy with the slow pace of reforms and the continuing economic issues. In the first round of the election on March 31, 2019, Poroshenko got about 16% of the vote, coming in second to newcomer Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who received over 30%.
In the runoff election on April 21, 2019, Zelenskyy won with about 73% of the vote. Poroshenko admitted defeat and recognized the need for change in Ukrainian politics. However, his time as president ended on May 20, 2019, when Zelenskyy was inaugurated as the new president.
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Who Is The Current President Of Ukraine?
Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy is the current President of Ukraine, having started his term on May 20, 2019. Zelenskyy was born on January 25, 1978, in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, and he comes from a Jewish family.
He was famous as an entertainer even before now. One of his most popular shows was called “Servant of the People.” In this show, he played a schoolteacher who unexpectedly becomes the president of Ukraine.
It also helped start his real career because it led to the creation of a political party named “Servant of the People” in 2018.
However, Zelenskyy’s political journey began in December 2018 when he announced that he would run for president. Even though he was not a politician and had no experience in government, many people liked his message.
He talked a lot about fighting corruption and making changes in the government. Many people in Ukraine were unhappy with the old politicians, so they supported him. In the presidential election in April 2019, he won a huge victory.
He got about 73% of the vote in the second round, beating the sitting president, Petro Poroshenko. Since becoming president, Zelenskyy has faced many big challenges, and one of the biggest ones is the Russian invasion of Ukraine that started in February 2022.
Zelenskyy has been praised all over the world for his leadership during this crisis. He has spoken out strongly about Ukraine’s situation and has worked hard to get support from other countries to help fight against Russia.
His administration is focused on keeping the country united, making reforms, and dealing with the conflict with Russia. This includes asking for military and humanitarian help from Western countries.