Financial Times names Zelensky ‘person of the year'

"The president of Ukraine embodies the resilience of his people and has become a standard bearer for liberal democracy," Financial Times wrote. "The 44-year-old Zelensky has earned a place in history for his extraordinary display of leadership and fortitude," the newspaper added.

Zelensky convinced the Europeans to take on the enormous costs of confronting the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and offer Kyiv a path to EU membership, using social media "to campaign relentlessly for western military and financial support," according to FT.

As Ukraine surprises the world with its military successes and national struggle for survival, Zelensky has represented a global fight for liberal democracy with authoritarianism "that could define the course of the 21st century," the newspaper added.

On May 20, the American magazine Time also chose Zelensky as "the most influential person in 2022," according to a readers' survey.