Time magazine names Ukraine's Zelensky 'Person of the Year'

Gulf Today Report

Time magazine named President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as "the spirit of Ukraine" as its 2022 person of the year on Wednesday, for the resistance the country has shown in the face of Russia's invasion.

"Whether the warfare for Ukraine fills one with wish or with fear, Volodymyr Zelensky galvanized the world in a way we haven't seen in decades," Time editor in chief Edward Felsenthal wrote.

Calling Zelensky's decision to remain in Kyiv and rally his country "fateful," Felsenthal said this year's decision was "the most clear-cut in memory."

Since Russia's February 24 invasion, Zelensky has delivered daily speeches that are followed not only by Ukrainians but by citizens and governments around the globe.

He has appeared on the front lines and recently celebrated in the streets of Kherson when Ukraine pushed Russia from the critical southern city.

"His information offensive shifted the geopolitical weather system, setting off a wave of action that swept the globe," Felsenthal wrote in announcing the winner.

"Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Volodymyr Zelensky galvanized the world in a way we haven't seen in decades," Felsenthal added.

Zelensky's response to the Russian invasion has transformed the 44-year-old former comedian from an embattled leader of a struggling European outlier to a global household name.