TIMES MAGAZINE NAMES ZELENSKYY ‘PERSON OF THE YEAR’

Wed 07 December 2022:

For his bravery in the face of Russia’s invasion and for inspiring Ukrainians to remain firm and oppose Russia’s full-scale invasion, which Moscow launched in late February, Time magazine has named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 2022’s “Person of the Year.”

Time’s Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal stated on Wednesday that Zelenskyy’s choice to stay in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv and unite his nation was “fateful” and that this year’s choice was “the most clear-cut in memory.”

On February 26, the Ukrainian embassy in the United Kingdom announced on Twitter that Zelenskyy had turned down an offer by the US to evacuate Kyiv.

“The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride,” they quoted him as saying, before adding, “Ukrainians are proud of their president.”

His words became a famous motto.

Refusing to flee as Russian bombs fell, the former comedian rallied his countrymen in broadcasts from the capital and traveled across his war-torn country, the publication noted in bestowing its annual title.

Zelenskyy’s attitude to the Russian invasion has elevated him from a troubled European outlier leader to a well-known figure around the world.

Additionally, he has emerged as the face of opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was named Time’s Person of the Year for 2007.

Since Russia’s invasion began, the 44-year-old Zelenskyy 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.

Zelenskyy, who was born in the southern industrial city of Kryvyi Rih in the heart of a mainly Russian-speaking region, has presented his country as the front line in a broader conflict.

“The Russians need to understand … They will have no forgiveness. They will have no acceptance in the world,” Zelenskyy said in an interview published in the issue.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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