Zelenskiy's brush with Trump won't help him end Ukraine's war | Liana Semchuk

As Ukrainians brand their president ‘Monica Zelenskiy’ and EU allies waver, the chances of peace in Donbass look slim

At a press marathon in Kyiv last week, Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that his mission was to be the Ukrainian president who would “end the war”. That’s a tough ask for a former comedy actor who had barely got his feet under the presidential desk before being snarled up in a Donald Trump impeachment scandal that has led some Ukrainians to refer to their leader as “Monica” Zelenskiy.

Related: Thousands march in Kyiv to oppose east Ukraine peace plan