Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, and “the spirit of Ukraine” are selected as Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2022.
Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people have been struggling for months due to the Russian government’s constant onslaught. This demonstrates why many people might not be shocked by Time’s choice to award the two with the title. To commemorate those who had a positive impact on society, Time established the Person of the Year award. Zelenskyy’s leadership throughout the battle also led Time to choose him as a person of interest this year.
“When he was growing up, his father worked as a systems manager in the copper mines of Mongolia, and the trips to visit him would take eight days on the railroad from their hometown of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, passing through Russia and Siberia,” wrote Time.
“He remembers the journeys fondly—the vast expanses of the Soviet empire rolling by, the glasses of tea served in metal cup holders embossed with the hammer and sickle. It is among the many ironies of his predicament that Zelensky was raised in the empire whose revival he is now fighting to stop.”
“Zelensky’s success as a wartime leader has relied on the fact that courage is contagious. It spread through Ukraine’s political leadership in the first days of the invasion, as everyone realized the President had stuck around. If that seems like a natural thing for a leader to do in a crisis, consider historical precedent,” it continued.
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Time recognizes the Ukrainian and Zelenskyy
On the cover of Time, Zelenskyy is depicted in a picture. Along with vivid sunflowers and Ukrainian flags, people from Ukraine surrounded his gigantic image. The image, in the opinion of Time, represented Zelenskyy’s fortitude in the face of unbeatable Russian military might. The leader of Ukraine resisted leaving the nation in February and instead dealt with the problem head-on. He chose to remain in his nation and defend it alongside his people.
“[Zelenskyy] was adaptable, trained not to lose his nerve under pressure. He knew how to read a crowd and react to its moods and expectations. Now his audience was the world. He was determined not to let them down,” wrote Simon Shuster, a Time reporter.
Time focused more on the individuals who participated in the conflict than the country’s President. According to Time, Zelenskyy was recently under pressure to handle the battle. As a result, Zelenskyy allegedly adopted a stricter and more assertive demeanor, in stark contrast to his chattiness and eccentricity.
“If the choices their President articulated gave moral clarity to an era we’d mostly been scrolling through, it was people who gave it meaning by acting,” added Time.
“Instead of running for their lives, many Ukrainians grabbed whatever weapons they could find and ran to defend their towns and cities against an invading force armed with tanks and attack helicopters.”
Time chose from ten candidates
Zelenskyy was picked by Time as Person of the Year among a field of ten finalists. Elon Musk, the US Supreme Court, Janet Yellen, the Iranian protesters, Ron DeSantis, and advocates for gun safety were among the other notables the publication shortlisted. The publication also included Chinese President Xi Jinping, US Representative Liz Cheney, Liz Cheney of China, Elon Musk, and the US Supreme Court.
Russia will carry on with the fight
Putin, the President of Russia, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to carry on the conflict. The Russian forces sustained enormous losses in crucial Ukrainian territories that their adversary had taken back. According to experts, Russia may lose the war if the trend continues. Nevertheless, Putin asserted that they would continue the conflict despite his warning. Instead, he predicts a drawn-out conflict that might end in a nuclear exchange.
“With regard to the protracted nature of the special military operation and its results, of course, it’s going to take a while, perhaps,” Putin said.
“As for the idea that Russia wouldn’t use such weapons first under any circumstances. Then it means we wouldn’t be able to be the second to use them either. Because the possibility to do so in case of an attack on our territory would be very limited,” he added.
“Nevertheless, we have a strategy. Namely, as a defense, we consider weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons – it is all based around the so-called retaliatory strike. That is, when we are struck, we strike in response.”
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Zelenskyy will defend Ukraine
Zelenskyy spoke in-depth about various topics, including his goal to defend Ukraine, in a lengthy interview with Time. In the face of difficulty, Zelenskyy asserted, the Ukrainian people would always defend their rights. A recent victory for Ukraine’s army at the Battle of Kherson represents another tactical success.
“That was not yet a final point in the fight against evil, but it already determined the further course of events. That is exactly what we are feeling now. Now, Kherson is free,” revealed Zelenskyy to the Time reporter.
“The battle to liberate Kherson was over, he announced, and it was reminiscent of history’s great military victories, like the Allied landing at Normandy on D-Day, which turned the tide of World War II,” said the reporter.
“But his vision of victory now extends beyond the liberation of territory. In our interview on the way back from Kherson, Zelensky stressed that this year’s invasion is just the latest Russian attempt over the past century to subjugate Ukraine. His intention is to make it the last, even if it takes a lot more Time and sacrifice. It is far too early to gauge whether that goal can be reached, Zelensky told me,” concluded the reporter.
Photo Credit: Time Magazine
Source: NPR
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