List of Presidents of Ukraine: Past and Present

Last updated November 2026

This page lists the presidents and heads of state of Ukraine from 1991 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of Ukraine, former presidents, and key dates in the country's political history.

Current president of Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky (in office since 2019). Volodymyr Zelensky's five-year term formally ended in May 2024, but Ukrainian law bars elections while martial law, imposed after Russia's February 2022 invasion, remains in force, so he continues in office and no election has been held.

Presidents of Ukraine in order, with years in office

Leonid Kravchuk

Served: 1991–1994

First president of independent Ukraine, elected in December 1991 alongside the independence referendum.

Leonid Kuchma

Served: 1994–2005

Served two terms.

Viktor Yushchenko

Served: 2005–2010

Came to power after the 2004 Orange Revolution.

Viktor Yanukovych

Served: 2010–2014

Left Kyiv in February 2014 and was removed by parliament on 22 February.

Oleksandr Turchynov

Served: 2014 (acting)

Speaker of parliament who acted as president from February to June 2014.

Petro Poroshenko

Served: 2014–2019

Businessman who won the May 2014 election; he lost to Zelensky in 2019.

Volodymyr Zelensky

Served: 2019–present

Former comedian and actor who won the April 2019 runoff and has led the country through the war with Russia since 2022.

Frequently asked questions about the presidents of Ukraine

Who is the current president of Ukraine?

The current head of state of Ukraine is Volodymyr Zelensky, in office since 2019. Volodymyr Zelensky's five-year term formally ended in May 2024, but Ukrainian law bars elections while martial law, imposed after Russia's February 2022 invasion, remains in force, so he continues in office and no election has been held.

Who were the previous presidents of Ukraine?

The presidents and heads of state of Ukraine listed on this page, in order, are: Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma, Viktor Yushchenko, Viktor Yanukovych, Oleksandr Turchynov, Petro Poroshenko, Volodymyr Zelensky.

Who was the first president of Ukraine?

Leonid Kravchuk was the first president of Ukraine, in office 1991–1994.

Sources: Wikipedia, List of presidents of Ukraine; Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv Post, AFP and Reuters reports on Zelensky and martial law, including October and August 2026 reporting (checked Nov 2026). Presidents since independence in 1991; the acting president of 2014 is labelled.. Last reviewed November 2026.

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