Zelenskyy, 44, is highly regarded in Ukraine and throughout the world for having guided the nation through Russia's unwarranted attacks and becoming a poster boy for democracy and defiance.
On December 7th, the magazine announced its choice. Journalist Simon Shuster, Period's 2022 Person of the Year, stated in an essay that Zelenskyy's leadership during a time of conflict depended on the idea that courage is contagious. In the early days of the invasion, it rippled throughout Ukraine's political establishment when everyone realised the president had persisted.
Zelenskyy remained in Kyiv following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24 in an effort to support the people of his nation. According to a tweet from the Ukrainian embassy in Britain, Zelenskyy allegedly warned the US on February 26 that "The struggle is here; I need ammo, not a ride."
The battle in Ukraine, which has lasted for almost ten months, seems to have no end. Zelenskyy has undertaken risky journeys to demonstrate his support for Ukrainian forces and the nation at large, including his June travel to the front lines in the Donbass and his November visit to Kherson to celebrate with locals after the evacuation of Russian troops.
Zelenskyy informed the magazine that his security had advised against visiting Kherson due to a variety of factors, including the city's deplorable state following the Russians' withdrawal and the potential existence of agents and saboteurs. But he added, "It's the people," as an explanation for his behaviour.
Zelenskyy is now widely credited with inspiring many Ukrainians to join the armed resistance movement against Russia.
Natasha, a 35-year-old Ukrainian woman, remarked, "Zelenskyy gives me confidence." "In my opinion, Zelenskyy is the genuine defender of democracy around the globe and of the future peace of our children and our planet."
Bryan Stern, a former member of the American Army and Navy, as well as Connor Kennedy, the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy's grandson, are two foreign fighters who credit the president with inspiring them.
Since being elected president of Ukraine in April 2019, Zelenskyy has left his past professions as an actor and comedian to take the helm of the nation. Zelenskyy rose to fame in Ukraine thanks to his widely shared speech against public corruption in the sitcom "Servant of the People," in which he played a high school teacher. His character ascends to the presidency in the programme.
Since 1927, the editors of Time have chosen one person as Person of the Year to represent their influence on the globe as described in the magazine.
Zelenskyy was chosen by Time's editors after 10 other contenders were taken into account. These included demonstrators in Iran, proponents of gun control, the US Supreme Court, Elon Musk, Representative Liz Cheney, MacKenzie Scott, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.
Musk, the CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and currently Twitter, was selected the magazine's Person of the Year for 2021. The most influential persons for the year 2020 were announced as Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden the year before.
Zelenskyy was named the 2022 Entertainer of the Year by Time magazine, and Aaron Judge was named the 2022 Athlete of the Year, the publication reported on December 6.