For Jaded Russians, Ukraine's Zelensky Is 'breath Of Fresh Air'

The soaring popularity of Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, who led the first round of presidential polls, has intrigued Russians with many warming to his calls for dialogue with Moscow, and laughing along with his Russian-language humour

Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 1st Apr, 2019 ) :The soaring popularity of Ukrainian comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, who led the first round of presidential polls, has intrigued Russians with many warming to his calls for dialogue with Moscow, and laughing along with his Russian-language humour.

The Kremlin has so far avoided voicing an opinion on the 41-year-old actor, who won 30 percent of the vote on Sunday after emerging as a surprise favourite in the race against political heavyweights.

President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said only that Moscow does not want a "party of war" in power in Ukraine, seemingly referring to incumbent Petro Poroshenko, who came second in the first round on 16 percent and now faces a run-off, with nearly 90 percent of votes counted.

Some observers suggested the Russian leadership would like Zelensky to win because a political novice is likely to make blunders, propping up Moscow's narrative that Ukraine has descended into chaos after turning its back on neighbouring Russia.

Yet for some ordinary Russians, jaded by five years of political deadlock between Moscow and Kiev, Zelensky comes as a refreshing change.

"Finally a kind of breath of fresh air in Ukraine's morass," said Ruslan Shuyev, a 23-year-old IT specialist.