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List of presidents of Ukraine facts for kids

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Маріїнський палац в Києві (cropped)
The Mariinskyi Palace, official residence of the president of Ukraine, in July 2018

The president of Ukraine is the country's main leader and head of state. This means they represent Ukraine to other countries around the world. People in Ukraine vote directly to choose their president for a five-year term. The president also leads the government's executive branch and is the top commander of Ukraine's armed forces.

The idea of having a president in Ukraine began on July 5, 1991. At that time, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. After Ukraine declared its independence on August 24, 1991, the title changed to "President of Ukraine." The very first president, Leonid Kravchuk, was elected on December 1, 1991.

Most presidents of Ukraine, except for Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were already members of the Ukrainian parliament (called the Verkhovna Rada) before they became president. Some, like Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, and Viktor Yanukovych, had even served as Prime Minister before. Leonid Kravchuk was the first president to leave office early. Later, in 2014, after some big changes in Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych left his position. The head of the parliament, Oleksandr Turchynov, became the acting president for a short time. New elections were held on May 25, 2014, and Petro Poroshenko became the fifth president. He started his term on June 7, 2014. The sixth and current president is Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who won the election in 2019 and began his term on May 20, 2019.

Ukraine's Presidents: A Historical List

When Did They Serve? A Timeline

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Petro Poroshenko Oleksandr Turchynov Viktor Yanukovych Viktor Yushchenko Leonid Kuchma Leonid Kravchuk

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Ucrania para niños

  • First Lady of Ukraine
  • List of prime ministers of Ukraine, since 1917
  • List of chairmen of the Verkhovna Rada, since 1938
  • President of Ukraine (in exile) — Head of the UPR government in exile from 1921 to 1992
  • List of leaders of Ukraine
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