The election of the comedian Volodymyr Zelensky to the presidency of Ukraine is no laughing matter. His huge victory on Sunday means a man with no political experience will be commander-in-chief of a country that considers itself to be in an undeclared war with Russia. The danger is clear: Mr Zelensky could be manipulated by Vladimir Putin, a master of political manoeuvres.
Russia shows no sign of ceding Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Eastern Ukraine is under the sway of Moscow’s proxies, while Russian military intelligence mounts cyberattacks on Kiev. The lawlessness of the east enabled separatist militiamen to shoot down a civilian airliner over Ukraine five years ago and never to face the consequences.
All this demands a Ukrainian leader who is ready