When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th of 2022, I, like many other Americans, believed that America should assist the small Ukranian country in fighting off a foreign invader.
I was under the assumption that the tyranny of Vladimir Putin had only just begun and if he had the tenacity to wage war in the Ukraine, it would only be a matter of time before he attempted the same undertaking in the United States of America.
This ideology was cemented in the minds of Americans and the globe alike through our main stream media including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. A grueling 3 years and thousands of lost lives later, the war continues to go on in the Ukraine despite American, Russian, and Ukranian citizens desiring it to end.
Most recently, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House and informed America’s people as well as the world that one day, the American people will “feel” what his country is feeling and we will feel the “influence” of it.
This statement prompted me to look into Mr. Zelenskyy and how he came to power.
Who was Volodymyr Zelenskyy before the presidency?
Volodymyr Zelenskyy obtained a degree in law but never practiced. His true ambitions were in the field of entertainment. He created a production company and became an influential Ukranian comedic figure and actor https://www.president.gov.ua/en/president/biografiya.
According to Reddit users, Zelenskyy was a popular star who won over the hearts of million in both Ukraine and Russia. Users reported the he won awards and was among some of the highest paid entertainers in the Ukranian industry https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUkraine/comments/1fbdcu7/how_popular_was_volodymyr_zelenskyy_as_an_actor/.
According to IMDb, Zelenskyy and his production company have won 3 awards and obtained 7 nominations from 2010-2016 which included his most notable role in Servant of the People. This role also catapulted him into his current role as the President of Ukraine https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305952/awards/.
Servant of the People
Servant of the People was a scripted television show that ran from 2010-2018. President Zelenskyy starred as the main character, Vasyli Petrovych Holoborodko, a recently divorced high school teacher living with his parents.
In the series, Mr. Holoborodko seemingly sounds off on the immoral and corrupt behavior practiced by the Ukranian government. Unbeknownst to him, one of his students records the rant for social media. The post goes viral and Mr. Holoborodko quickly becomes the President of Ukraine http://Servant of the People review: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s sitcom is a revelation | The Standard.
In 2017, a year before the end of the popular Ukranian television series, Servant of the People was formed and by March of 2018, the Ukranian political party was officially registered http://About: Servant of the People.
The show ended on March 28th of 2018. Volodymyr Zelenskyy ran in the March 31st 2019 Ukranian Presidential elections as the official candidate for the Servant of the People party. His candidacy was backed by Ihor Kolomoisky, one of Ukraine’s most controversial oligarchs https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59667938.
Who is Ihor Kolomoisky?
According to Oxford Languages, an oligarch is an extremely wealthy business leader with an immense amount of influence in the realm of politics. This is especially so in reference to individuals who benefit from the privatization of state-run industries, such as banks, after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Kolomoisky was once considered the leading oligarch in Ukraine. He was a billionaire businessman and co-owned PrivatBank with Gennadiy Bogolyubov.
In 2015, both business men were brought to the London High Court on charges of accepting $143 million from Victor Pinchuk in exchange for the purchase of an iron ore factory that he did not receive.
In addition, Pinchuk claimed they instead sold half to Ukraine’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetov https://www.reuters.com/article/world/uk/ukrainian-oligarchs-settle-2-billion-dispute-days-before-london-court-hearing-idUSKCN0V02O2/. The case was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount https://www.occrp.org/en/project/paradise-papers/ukrainian-billionaires-exchanged-luxury-london-real-estate-in-secret-settlement.
In 2016, PrivatBank was suspected of fraud and the Ukranian government changed it from a privately owned asset into a public asset which means that it became owned by Ukraine https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/former-banker-accused-privatbank-fraud-case-leaves-ukraine-media-report-says-2024-07-08/#:~:text=PrivatBank%2C%20Ukraine’s%20largest%20lender%2C%20accused,nationalised%20the%20bank%20in%202016.
The central bank governor Valeria Gontareva, stated that the decision to transfer ownership from Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov was the only way to protect deposits placed with the bank and rescue the Ukranian financial system. In addition this move was said to have protected 20 million Ukranian customers along with the financial stability of the country https://www.bbc.com/news/business-38365579.
In 2017, Kolomoisky left Ukraine. According to Kyiv Post, Zelenskyy worked under the television station owned by Kolomoisky in which aired “Servant of the People”. Zelenskyy visited Kolomoisky in Geneva and Tel Aviv an estimated 13 times from 2017-2018 and was occupied by his now Chief Legal Advisor Andriy Bogdan whom also happened to be Kolomoisky’s attorney https://antac.org.ua/en/news/zelenskyi-flew-13-times-to-geneva-and-tel-aviv-where-kolomoiskyi-lives-during-2-years-schemes/.
In 2019, Zelenskyy won the second round of presidential elections making him the official President of the Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s net worth
In May of 2018, Zelenskyy declared assets that totaled around $500,000 USD+ but no more than a million. In 2019, the year he won the presidency, he was worth a little over a million USD https://archive.kyivpost.com/ukraine-politics/zelensky-earned-1-million-in-2019.html.
According to the Economic Research Institute, The Ukranian Presidential Salary is around 77,000 USD https://www.erieri.com/salary/job/president/ukraine. This figure may vary depending on the source but does not exceed 100,000 USD.
Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and the US provided $6.3 Billion in security assistance https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-political-military-affairs/releases/2025/01/u-s-security-cooperation-with-ukraine#:~:text=In%20FY%202022%2C%20DoD%20provided,Congress%20have%20now%20been%20committed.
In 2022, Zelensky had an estimated worth of $20 million but less than $30 million according to an article published by Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattdurot/2022/04/20/president-zelensky-is-not-a-billionaire-so-how-much-is-he-worth/?sh=3dcfdb545bb0.
I was unable to locate a fact based, widely accepted income for President Zelensky from 2023-2024. My research cited numbers that were drastically lower than the $20million+ reported by Forbes (which Zelensky has yet to deny) and some were immensely higher.
Why Should America No longer fund the war in Ukraine (or any war that does not benefit the American people)?
An estimated 500,000 soldiers have died in the Russia-Ukranian war, on both sides https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/116768/documents/HHRG-118-ZS00-20240130-SD002.pdf.
According to a study done by Gallup near the end of 2024, about 52% of Ukrainian’s want to end the war https://news.gallup.com/poll/653495/half-ukrainians-quick-negotiated-end-war.aspx.
Another study, conducted by the Moscow times, reported that 58% of Russians want an end to the war https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/07/09/more-russians-favor-peace-talks-with-ukraine-than-ever-but-its-complicated-a85652.
American’s also have their opinion and a staggering 70% wanted Biden to negotiate an end to the Ukranian-Russian war https://responsiblestatecraft.org/ukraine-peace-talks-poll/.
The US had provided aid in the amount of $174 billion to assist Ukraine in a war that citizens of the largest participating countries no longer believe in https://www.gao.gov/blog/ukraine-aid-important-so-oversight-funding-and-assistance.
America has problems of her own. There are about 771,480 homeless people in America, a rise of 32.5% from 2022-2024 https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-homeless-people-are-in-the-us-what-does-the-data-miss/ of those, 32,882 of American Veterans experienced homelessness according to the US Department of Veteran Affairs and 150,000 children experienced the same, an increase of 33% from 2023 https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2024-AHAR-Part-1.pdf.
It is also no secret that our children are struggling in our public education system. Publicschoolreview.com reported that 82% of public schools are failing while no failing numbers could be found for private schools. The average national private school tuition is around $12,000 for elementary and $17,000 for high school per child.
American citizens owe an estimated $220 billion in medical debt and we spend the most in our health outcomes but have the worst preforming healthcare system according to CBS.com. As of this year, America is roughly $32 trillion dollars in debt.
My opinion regarding this matter is going to be based on the fact that America does not have the money to fund never ending wars at the expense of the American people. We need to bring as much money back to America and rectify the issues of homelessness, debt, a poor public education system, and the attempt to disintegrate the middle class. What I am truly saying is, we need to bring hope back to America and walk on the path of strengthening ourselves and stop policing the world when we have problems at home.
1 Thessalonian 4:11-12
And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.
With Love,
Mother Ocia