Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky Named Time Magazine's 'Person Of The Year'

Person of the Year 2022: Zelensky galvanised the world in a way we haven't seen in decades, wrote Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal.

A file photo of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ( Image Source :Getty Images )

President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as "the spirit of Ukraine" was named by Time Magazine on Wednesday as its 2022 'Person of the year' for the resistence the country has shown in the face of Russia's invasion, AFP reported. The Time magazine's editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said Zelensky galvanised the world in a way "we haven’t seen in decades".

The Time magazine called Zelensky's decision to remain in Kyiv amid the Russian invasion and rally his country "fateful". Felsenthal said this year's decision was "the most clear-cut in memory".

"In the weeks after Russian bombs began falling on February 24, his decision not to flee Kyiv but to stay and rally support was fateful. From his first 40-second Instagram post on February 25 — showing that his Cabinet and civil society were intact and in place — to daily speeches delivered remotely to the likes of houses of Parliament, the World Bank, and the Grammy Awards, Ukraine's President was everywhere. His information offensive shifted the geopolitical weather system, setting off a wave of action that swept the globe," Felsenthal wrote in announcing the winner.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Zelensky has delivered daily speeches followed not only by Ukrainians but by citizens and governments around the globe, AFP reported. He recently celebrated in the streets of Kherson when Ukraine pushed Russia from the southern city.

The Time magazine's profile on the Ukrainian President, written by Simon Shuster, said that Zelensky's success as a wartime leader showed that "courage is contagious".

Shuster also drew a comparison between Zelensky and former Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani, who fled as Taliban took over the country. The magazine also compared Zelensky with his predecessor Viktor Yanukovych, who ran away from Kyiv as protesters demanded his removal and continues to remain in Moscow.

Zelensky shares the 2022 title with "the spirit of Ukraine", which Time magazine said was embodied by the "countless individuals inside and outside the country" who fought behind the scenes, including everyday people such as chefs and surgeons.

Last year, the Tme magazine 'Person of the Year' honour went to Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk, who has recently been in the spotlight with his high-profile purchase of microblogging site Twitter.