LONDON (AP) 鈥 Time Magazine on Wednesday named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy its person of the year, awarding him the accolade 鈥渇or proving that courage can be as contagious as fear.鈥
Editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal said the choice of Zelenskyy 鈥 alongside 鈥渢he spirit of Ukraine鈥 鈥 was 鈥渢he most clear-cut in memory.鈥
鈥淲hether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, the world marched to Volodymyr Zelensky鈥檚 beat in 2022,鈥 he said.
A comedian-turned-politician who was elected to lead Ukraine in 2019, Zelenskyy has worked ceaselessly since Russia鈥檚 invasion on Feb. 24 to inspire his country鈥檚 resistance and marshal international support for Ukraine.
Felsenthal said Zelenskyy鈥檚 decision when the war started 鈥渘ot to flee Kyiv but to stay and rally support was fateful.鈥
鈥淔or proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people and nations to come together in defense of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy 鈥 and of peace 鈥 Volodymyr Zelensky and the spirit of Ukraine are TIME鈥檚 2022 Person of the Year,鈥 he added.
The magazine also highlighted people said to embody the spirit of Ukraine. They include engineer Oleg Kutkov, who helped keep Ukraine connected; Olga Rudenko, editor of the Kyiv Independent; and British combat surgeon David Nott.
Time鈥檚 annual selection has sparked debate and sometimes controversy since it began in 1927. The 2021 person of the year was Elon Musk, the tech, telecoms and space magnate who recently bought Twitter. In 2020, the title went to U.S. President Joe Biden 鈥 at the time president-elect 鈥 and Vice President Kamala Harris.
