President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was named Person of the Year by Time magazine on Wednesday in recognition of his leadership in the country’s war against Russia. The magazine also recognized the “spirit of Ukraine,” pointing to the country’s resilience in its rebuke to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.
Honored to be closely watched marks the latest step in a remarkable ascent that has seen Mr. Zelensky flourish from a career as a television comedian, first president in 2019 and then, this year, rise to the status of a global leader.
The Ukrainian leader, who has become the embodiment of the nation’s resistance since Russia launched an all-out invasion in February, has described the war as the struggle of peace-loving people to find peace. seek freedom from tyranny.
Two decisions made in February have defined his style. When the war began, Western powers and military experts assumed that Russian forces would quickly overwhelm the capital, Kyiv, and wished the government would retreat to safer ground. Instead, Mr. Zelensky stayed in the city as a symbol of the defiance and continuity of civilian authority. In the end, Ukrainian forces repelled the Russian attack there.
The second decision was to start broadcasting nightly speeches on social media. In one, right before the invasion begins“Listen to the voice of reason,” Mr. Zelensky said, adding, “The Ukrainian people want peace.”
For a moment, delivered on the night that Russian forces crossed the border and began bombing Kyiv, he expressed a new national mission. “Putin started the war against Ukraine and against the entire democratic world,” he said. “He wants to destroy our country and everything we built, but we know the strength of the Ukrainian people.”
Since then, Mr. Zelensky has used his office in Kiev to deliver a series of speeches to the US Congress, the British Parliament, the European Union and many other groups, calling for military assistance, thanking the nation that stood with Ukraine and shaped his country. struggle as one between freedom and autocracy.
Even his looks – combat boots, khaki pants, a green t-shirt and a trimmed beard – have become trademarks, reinforcing his image as a citizen soldier. In mid-November, he made a triumphant visit to the southern city of Kherson shortly after Ukrainian forces recaptured the city.
