Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy won Ukraine's presidential election by a substantial margin on Sunday.

Two exit polls showed Zelenskiy winning 73% of the vote, beating incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in the runoff election.

Poroshenko quickly conceded defeat and congratulated Zelenskiy on his landslide victory. He said the results were "clear" and a reason to "call my opponent and congratulate him."

"I will leave office but I want to firmly stress — I will not quit politics," he added.

Zelenskiy said in a speech: "We have accomplished this together."

"All citizens of the post-Soviet countries, look at us! Everything is possible."

The exit poll was conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology and the Razumkov Centre public opinion organization, which queried more than 13,000 voters at 300 polling places. It has a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Funny origins

Zelenskiy plays a president on a TV sitcom. His bid to lead the country of 45 million people was first dismissed as a joke, but his vague promises to reform the country were enough to win over voters fed up with the country's endemic corruption, moribund economy, and ongoing conflict with Russia-backed separatists.

On Sunday, Zelenskiy said he would continue EU-backed talks with Russia on a peace deal for east Ukraine and work toward freeing Ukrainian soldiers imprisoned in Russia.

"I will do everything to get our boys home," he said, "all our prisoners, without exception."

Poroshenko had launched a last-minute plea on Facebook, telling Ukrainians that "a five-year presidential term is not a comedy that you can easily switch off if it is no longer funny."

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The TV clown In the popular TV show "Servant of the People" Volodymyr Zelenskiy played a history teacher who becomes president of Ukraine (he's pictured here in character). Now Zelenskiy is actually running for president and just reached the runoff election. The comedian is well-known across the country. In a campaign ad, he calls himself a clown. Could this help him win the second round of voting on April 21?

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The movie cowboy Do you recognize him? This is Ronald Reagan, president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. In his previous career, "the Gipper" (Seen here in "Cattle Queen of Montana") was a Hollywood actor. But president wasn't his first job in politics. From 1967 to 1975 he was governor of California. Among his famous campaign supporters were entertainment heavyweights such as John Wayne and Walt Disney.

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The dance musician Michel Martelly became famous during the 1980s in Haiti performing as the musician "Sweet Micky." He was known for his flashy fashion choices ― and even dropping his pants on stage. Martelly later served as Haitian president from 2011 to 2016, where he oversaw the country's rebuilding after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Hurricane Matthew then caused widespread destruction across Haiti in 2016.

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The virtuoso pianist Come along for a short trip back in time: World War I had just ended when gifted pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski was called on to become prime minister and foreign minister of re-established Poland. It was in this role that he signed the Treaty of Versailles for his country. After less than a year in office, Paderewski stepped down, but occasionally returned to politics.

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The cricket legend The current Pakistani prime minister was previously a highly successful cricket player: As team captain, Imran Khan (center, with flag) lead Pakistan to victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup. He founded his own party in 1996 and was a member of parliament for some time. In the 2018 election, Khan's Movement for Justice party won the most seats in the National Assembly and he became prime minister.

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The world class footballer George Weah was a successful artist as well, on the football pitch that is. The Liberian played for some of the biggest clubs in Europe and in 1995 was named FIFA World Player of the Year, the only African to win the award to date. He entered politics after retiring from football, first launching an unsuccessful bid for president in 2005. He ultimately succeeded in 2017.

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The scandal-plagued media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi didn't start out as a politician, either. He paid for his studies by working as a pianist and singer on cruise ships, then achieved fame as a developer and media tycoon ― and later infamy from the scandal over his "bunga bunga" parties. He rose to become Italy's prime minister in 1994, marking the first of his four (nonconsecutive) terms as head of government.

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders The reality TV star Donald Trump achieved celebrity status in the United States during the 1970s and 80s as the face of his family's eponymous real estate business. In 2003, he began hosting the popular reality TV show "The Apprentice." In 2015, after long hinting at a bid for the presidency, he launched the campaign that ultimately, if unexpectedly, took him to the White House.

From the Gipper to bunga bunga: The world's most unlikely leaders Giving hope to the youth Rapper Bobi Wine is not president yet, but he is likely to run in 2021. He's held a seat in Uganda's parliament under his real name, Robert Kyagulanyi, since 2017 and has been mobilizing the predominately young population against long-time President Yoweri Museveni. Wine's political rise hasn't always been rosy: His driver was shot dead last year and he himself was arrested and allegedly tortured. Author: Uta Steinwehr



Read more: Ukraine's next president — a laughing matter?

World reacts

Zelenskiy's victory puts the anti-establishment figure at the forefront of the West's standoff with Russia, after its annexation of Crimea and its support for insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said: "Exit polls show the citizens of Ukraine voted for change. The new leadership now must understand and realize the hopes of its electors. This of course applies to domestic as well as foreign affairs."

The president of the European Council, Donald Tusk, congratulated Zelenskiy on his victory. "The EU is determined to continue its support," he wrote on Twitter.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also congratulated the president-elect on Twitter, writing: "Ukraine is a valued #NATO partner & we look forward to continuing our cooperation."

amp, aw/rc (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)

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