Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych

Former actor and producer who came to power with anti-corruption promises

Co-founder of the "Kvartal 95" studio, actor, and producer. In 2019, he won the presidential election with 73.2% of the vote as a candidate without experience in public administration but with anti-corruption slogans. In November 2021 — "Pandora Papers": among declared assets were offshore companies in the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus; the amount of funds in accounts in the United Kingdom and offshore was estimated at $30-40 million, significantly exceeding known declared incomes. Zelenskyy stated that all assets were earned before his presidency and comply with the law. On February 24, 2022, he stayed in Kyiv during the Russian invasion — a decision that dramatically changed his international image.

The "Midas" case, Yermak suspicion, and concentration of power in the Office of the President

The largest corruption scandal in the president’s circle — the "Midas" case (November 2025): the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) conducted more than 70 searches at "Energoatom" and detained Tymur Mindich — co-owner of "Kvartal 95", personal friend, and business partner of Zelenskyy since the 1990s. According to the investigation, Mindich headed a "criminal organization" systematically receiving kickbacks of 10–15% from Energoatom contracts. In May 2026, suspicion was issued to former Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak — in connection with legalization of UAH 460 million through the construction of elite residences in the cottage town "Dynasty" in Kozyne. NABU and Zelenskyy officially stated that the president is not implicated in this case. Separately — there is systemic criticism regarding the concentration of power in the Office of the President: actual governance of the state through an informal Bankova vertical bypassing the Cabinet of Ministers and parliamentary procedures; personnel appointments without competitions (NABU, Bureau of Economic Security, prosecution); pressure on independent media and NABU in 2021–2022 through attempts to legislate restrictions on the powers of anti-corruption bodies (bill No. 5599, withdrawn after international pressure); bill No. 12414 (2025) on subordination of NABU/SAP to the Prosecutor General — passed by the parliamentary majority and signed by the president despite warnings from the EU and IMF. The issue of Zelenskyy’s relations with Akhmetov and the distribution of media space after the 2019 elections remains the subject of journalistic investigations without verdicts.