Mr Zelensky who will be Ukraine's first Jewish President, greeted the rabbis warmly. They discussed the situation and challenges of Ukranian Jewry at length. The rabbis noted that his appointment shows a movement towards tolerance and democracy.

The rabbis congratulated Mr Zelensky on his appointment and presented him with a Torah with Russian translation. The President-Elect was impressed with the foresight of the Lubavitcher Rebbe who had sent his emissaries in the 1990s to rebuild Jewish life as Communism fell.