Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was named Time’s “Person of the Year.”
Time magazine addressed why it selected Zelenskyy for the honor. “For proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people and nations to come together in defense of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy — and of peace — Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine are Time’s 2022 Person of the Year,” Time wrote.
According to BBC, Time selects “Person of the Year” based on who it believes had the most influence on global events. Previous winners include Elon Musk (2021), Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (2020) and Greta Thunberg (2019).
The Hill said other potential options for this year’s “Person of the Year” were Musk, Xi Jinping, the U.S. Supreme Court, Rep. Liz Cheney, MacKenzie Scott, protesters in Iran, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Janet Yellen and gun safety advocates.
Who is Volodymyr Zelenskyy?
Zelenskyy is the president of Ukraine.
According to his biography, he previously had a career in media and entertainment. After graduating with a law degree, he began working as a comedian for several years. He was elected president of Ukraine in 2019. Now age 44, Zelenskyy’s profile rose when Russia invaded Ukraine in February.
Zelenksyy’s achievements during the war have been the subject of much discussion. In Simon Schuster’s reporting on Zelenskyy, he underscored Zelenskyy’s efforts during the war to convince the world that Ukraine’s sovereignty was important to the future of democracy. Schuster also wrote that Zelenskyy quickly mobilized Ukrainian forces and has set an example of leadership during the war.
He has become a highly-admired figure, per the report.
In an opinion piece published by The New York Times, Bret Stephens wrote, “We admire Zelenskyy because he reminds us of how rare these traits have become among our own politicians. Zelenskyy was an actor who used his celebrity to become a statesman.” Stephens said that Zelenskyy has been admirable for his ability to tell the truth and set a personal example for the Ukrainian people.