Ukraine on Monday inaugurated comedian and political newcomer Volodymyr Zelensky as its new president, a month after he scored a landslide electoral victory that dealt a stunning rebuke to the country's political establishment.
Zelensky, 41, was sworn into office in a ceremony held at Ukraine's parliament in Kiev.
Taking the oath of office, Zelensky, who is Jewish, pledged to "protect the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine" evoking the defensive prowess of Israel.
"We must become Icelanders in soccer, Israelis in defending our land, Japanese in technology," he was quoted by the BBC as saying.
Zelensky announced the dissolution of parliament and called for early elections.
"People must come to power who will serve the public," he said.
Zelensky's bid for the presidency started as a joke but struck a chord with voters who were frustrated by poverty, corruption and a five-year war between pro-Russian separatist groups and government forces that has claimed some 13,000 lives.
Zelensky takes the helm of a country of 45 million people beset by challenges as Ukraine's youngest-ever president in the post-Soviet era and with no political experience.
This article was originally published by i24NEWS. Read more at https://www.i24news.tv/en.
