The results of the first round of the Ukrainian presidential elections have shuffled the cards and resulted in a new environment in Kiev, and obliged the political forces to reexamine the arena and to reevaluate their calculations, after comedian Vladimir Zelensky came forth with more votes than the current president Petro Poroshenko. While this was not surprising, Zelensky had predicted it, the number of votes he received, which was above 30%, was not expected, while his closest competitor Poroshenko received less than 18%.

Zelensky’s advances will force other competitors to reorganize their political lineups during the next few weeks until the date of the second round of votes on April 21, amid the expectation that Zelensky secures his victory and takes the presidential seat, despite his lack of political history and experience.

Furthermore, Zelensky’s surprise candidacy, he was far from the political scene in Ukraine, is nothing but the result of the public’s tiring of political officials who are accused of corruption and of drowning the country in war and chaos, and it also strikes a sensitive chord regarding the public’s disappointment with the political players that have been in power since 2004. Despite the realization that Zelensky had the support of one of the most prominent “money sharks” in Ukraine, Ihor Kolomoyski, he also added prominent figures known for their stance against corruption to his inner circle.

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Russia has declared that it is observing the developments in Ukraine, while stating that Moscow is willing to cooperate with any president that relies on peaceful rhetoric and not the rhetoric of war. However, even though this statement was considered to be directed at the current president and his team—known to be the worst enemy of Russia in Ukraine—Zelensky’s declarations regarding Moscow do not indicate that his presidency will lead to big changes in matters concerning the current conflict, especially as when speaking of the situation in Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, he made sure to speak of “the Russian occupation,” which irritated the Kremlin.

Back in Kiev, many politicians doubt Zelensky’s capability of governing the country amid the conflict with Russia, the economic crisis, and various complicated issues if he wins in the second round. Moreover, one critic wrote that “the idea of a fun representative that adds humor to the scene, along with lesser political discourses, permitted him to lure the voters who have grown weary of war and corruption, and in return, circles close to Zelensky’s campaign said that the key to his presidential bid is to launch corrective programs that rely on bringing the youth sectors closer to politics and also fighting corruption, which means providing less attention to Crimea and the exploded situation in the country’s east.”

Based on a recent public survey, many Ukrainian voters feel that Zelensky’s lack of political experience will put Ukraine in danger, in addition to Poroshenko’s attempt to picture his rival as unable to present his country globally, especially in international negotiations regarding Russia, especially when facing a strong rival like Russian President Vladimir Putin.