Time magazine explains why Ukraine's Zelensky is Person of the Year
Time magazine has named President Volodymyr Zelensky and the “spirit of Ukraine” as its Person of the Year for protecting the country against Russia's invasion.
The award goes to the person or entity that the US news magazine deems has had the biggest influence on world events in the past 12 months.
“The Russian goal at the start of the invasion had been to kill or capture Zelensky and decapitate his government,” Time wrote.
But Zelensky made the fateful decision not to flee Kyiv, instead staying and rallying support in the weeks after Russian bombs began falling on February 24, said Time's editor Edward Felsenthal.
Zelensky's rallying call resulted in billions of dollars of military and humanitarian aid from many countries that had enabled Ukraine to withstand the might of the Russian army, he added.
The invasion was condemned by 141 countries at the United Nations, with only North Korea, Syria, Eritrea, and Belarus voting with Russia, Felsenthal noted.
"This year’s choice was the most clear-cut in memory," he said.
"Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Zelensky galvanised the world in a way we haven’t seen in decades."
He also praised the spirit of Ukrainian individuals inside and outside the country who fought for their homeland behind the scenes.
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