The British newspaper Financial Times (FT) recognized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as "the Person of the Year".
He is considered "the embodiment of the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people in their struggle against Russian aggression."
In its article, the FT compares Zelensky to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who spoke on the radio to rally the country during the Blitzkrieg: the Ukrainian president also uses social media to relentlessly campaign for military and financial support for Ukraine.
"By chance, he became the standard-bearer of liberal democracy in the broader global struggle against authoritarianism, which may determine the course of the 21st century," the publication notes.
In an interview with FT, Zelensky said that he stayed in Kyiv in the first days of the invasion because he could not and did not want to "let people down."
"I am more responsible than brave. I just hate letting people down," he stated.
Journalists believe that the presidentʼs decision to stay in the capital instead of accepting the U.S. offer to evacuate "became one of the most important moments in the war, prompting the Ukrainian army and its people to resist. This came as a surprise to Ukrainians and Western allies, who had low expectations from the countryʼs political leadership."