Zelensky: two months as Ukraine's most unusual president

Here is a recap of his most unusual moves as president ahead of Sunday's elections when Ukrainians will elect a new parliament.

Kisses and selfies

During his inauguration on May 20, Zelensky arrived at Ukraine's parliament from his nearby home by foot.

He gave high-fives to people who lined the streets of Kiev, and even jumped up to kiss a friend on his forehead.

During his inaugural speech, he announced the dissolution of parliament and early elections which are to be held on Sunday.

He also called on officials not to hang his photographs in their offices.

"The president is not an icon, he is not an idol," he said. "Hang photographs of your children and look them in the eye when you make your decisions."

Informal dress code

Unlike previous Ukrainian presidents who wore formal suits, Zelensky often appears at meetings without a tie and sometimes without a jacket -- even when it comes to high-ranking foreign guests.

During a meeting with German and French foreign ministers in May he appeared in a dark shirt with rolled-up sleeves.

Zelensky wore a blue shirt under a bulletproof vest during his first visit to the frontline in eastern Ukraine, where Kiev is fighting pro-Russia separatists, in contrast to his predecessor Petro Poroshenko who always wore a military uniform when visiting the war zone.

Running through a fountain

During a recent visit to Mariupol, Zelensky surprised crowds by running through a park fountain with children in the summer heat.

He did so in front of surprised residents, then jumped into a car and drove away.

Relocating presidential offices

In June, Zelensky announced a controversial plan to move the presidential administration from a hulking Soviet-era building in central Kiev to a multifunctional complex that holds exhibitions and forums.

The president has told AFP that he was "very uncomfortable" in the building where all Ukrainian presidents previously worked and once said that a terminal inside Kiev's Boryspil airport would be a good place for his office.

Cancelling military parades

This month Zelensky made a surprise decision to cancel the Independence Day military parade planned for August -- one of the country's key events since the beginning of a war with Russia-backed separatists in the east that has claimed around 13,000 lives.

Instead he promised to allocate 300 million hryvnia (more than 10 million euros) as awards to Ukrainian soldiers.