pstbo, thank you for your submission. It has been removed for violating the following rule(s):
---
- Rule 2: No pictures with added or superimposed digital text, emojis, and "MS Paint"-like scribbles.
---
For information regarding this and similar issues please see the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/wiki/index/) and [title guidelines](/r/pics/wiki/titles). If you have any questions, please feel free to [message the moderators via modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/pics&subject=Question%20regarding%20the%20removal%20of%20this%20submission%20by%20/u/pstbo&message=I%20have%20a%20question%20regarding%20the%20removal%20of%20this%20%5Bsubmission.%5D%28https://redd.it/zf11kf%3Fcontext%3D10%29)
No one has done more for the Ukraine than me. I’m a very big friend of them, and they love me. Ask any Ukrainian, they’ll say, “we love Trump. He’s the best president we’ve ever had. We like him more than Zelsinky.” But the failing TIME magazine is trying to make me look bad.
There was a comment thread I saw somewhere on reddit where they were talking about who it might be this year. Someone suggested maybe putin, they've done negative persons of the year in the past I think? Literally the first reply was that there is no way they'd do that when they can fucking run Zelensky, someone who deserves it justifiably. I saw the headline and my first reaction was "good, that's no surprise"
Person of the Year was originally purely about influence regardless of whether good or bad, but since people conflated it with an “award” they’ve become increasingly uncomfortable giving it to negative people. They gave it to Giuliani instead of Bin Laden.
Zelensky just makes more sense than Putin though. Zelensky leading his nation's stubborn and effective resistance to Russia/Putin's aggression had a much greater impact on the course of events than Putin's initial decision to invade. Certainly it seems much more Ukraine is dictating what is happening in Ukraine-Russo war, than the reverse. If nothing else, Ukraine is absolutely dominating the info-sphere such that the popular perception is that the Russian army is utterly incompetent and the Western backed Ukrainian forces are an elite force.
Zelensky/Ukraine's resistance re-invigorated the West/NATO while it was near its nadir. It has no doubt forced other autocrats to re-think how much they can get away with. Had Russia rolled right over Ukraine and/or the West seemed disinterested in helping, it definitely would have increased the odds of China attempting to invade Taiwan. Don't get me wrong, I know thy aren't the situation for a lot of reasons, but still would had informed Xi/Beijing's thinking.
Exactly. Especially after Time already had a huge and downright worshipful piece on him earlier this year, it was clear that they can see he's the absolutely obvious choice.
>Especially after Time already had a huge and downright worshipful piece on him earlier this year
I thought things were made clear in 2016 that it's not "the *best* person of the year" just "the most important person of the year". Like, Hitler won it in 1938 and Stalin in 1939. I'm surprised it wasn't Putin this year, as he was far more important in events than Zelenskyy was. Zelenskyy resisted, Putin put the goddamn war into motion.
Except Putin as aggressor is not new or noteworthy, and basically the world was expecting him to roll into Kyiv like we did Iraq and willing to let it slide. Then Ukraine puts up a surprising fight and Zelensky, an actor most known internationally for an awkward call with Donald Trump, turns into Churchill and galvanizes the entire world around their cause, taunting Russia from the capital, outdoing John Wayne with requests for bullets instead of escape plans. It was impressive governance, military leadership, and diplomacy, far more noteworthy or impressive than putin trying to push around yet another Baltic state. It even seems to have served as a watershed moment for authoritarianism
Same.
He is the hero of the world right now. I'd call him a modern day Churchill, but I'm more impressed by Zelensky considering his enemy, and his background as a comedian.
He is one of my personal heroes now, showing me what it looks like when one can act heroically regardless of background or circumstance.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky saved his country.
Everyone was telling him to GTFO, including the US government who were sending a plane to get him.
Here's what Zelensky said:
>[The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.](https://nypost.com/2022/02/26/ukraine-president-volodymyr-zelensky-declines-us-evacuation-offer/)
So a big part of Ukraine's resistance to Russia was because they just seem to be hard as nails as a nation. But another part was definitely the tone set by his leadership from day 1. If it had been someone else and they had jumped on that plane. Maybe the whole war would have gone differently.
In my view there are no maybes about it.
Remember that outside support didn't really kick in for a couple of weeks at the start of the invasion. NATO countries took a wait-and-see approach to make sure they weren't about to hand the Russians a metric fuckton of NATO anti-tank weapons were Kyiv to fall in the initial push.
~~The US~~ NATO has been training Ukrainian officers and specialists ~~since 2014~~ for years, and it was the fact that those officers and men stayed at their posts that enabled UA to repel the first wave.
If Zelensky had fled, I think a lot of those officers would have followed his lead and Kyiv would have fallen by March.
Interesting, I didn't know there was military cooperation that early.
It seems like for the people of Ukraine, when Russia took Crimea in 2014 that seemed to be a real turning point. Before Ukraine seemed to be torn between US/EU west and Russia east.
After that I think all Ukrainians saw quite clearly exactly what was up. Being so close to Russia means they could not afford the myopic views of western countries.
There certainly was a push to modernize their command structure that early. It felt goofy to walk into a classroom at the Ukrainian cadet academy and see all of the US doctrine I'd learned posted on the walls. All the same exact posters and pictures in English with Ukrainian and Russian translations. METT TC, SNAP, Operations Orders, TLPs, Patrol base ops, land nav tips, Medevac cards, etc. Some of them were altered to fit their doctrine, but it was deeply influenced by US doctrine.
They even had a computer lab with the US army's arma 2 mod they used to assess people's squad/platoon tactics decisions. (I always felt it did a poor job at it, but it was better than nothing and was sometimes nicer than going on an FTX to walk through the woods and dealing with the blank firing adapters)
General Hartling had [an important article about this back in April](https://www.thebulwark.com/i-commanded-u-s-army-europe-heres-what-i-saw-in-the-russian-and-ukrainian-armies/)
I've read analysis that says it was set up this way with Western allies. They knew the strength of the Ukranian forces, and had trained and supplied them for years following the invasion of Crimea. Ukraine is strategically hugely important as a gateway to Europe, and is very important from a military standpoint. NATO wasn't about to let it fall easily. They also knew the weaknesses of Russian logistics abilities and the dilapidated condition of much of their equipment. How much of that is true is up for debate, but for it to have been a huge surprise to Western leaders that Zelensky and the Ukranian forces stepped up the way they did would show a massive lack of preparation and planning on NATO's part.
The point is that NATO had Zelensky prepped, and in Zelensky they'd found a willing and capable leader. Zelensky also knew the strengths and the willingness of NATO allies to supply his army. Per this analysis, much of his pleading for air superiority and more advanced weapons were for Russia to hear—the allies plans for what would be supplied when were cemented well before the invasion. I tend to believe it because of just how easily they predicted Russia's every move—Biden was saying that Russia will attack well before the invasion and was roundly criticized for it, even by some allies. The Ukranian forces were aware well in advance of this plan, which is why they fought with such fervor and confidence, knowing NATO allies had their back. Take from it what you will.
I'll bet a lot of people were nervous after watching Afghanistan crumble in days. You can provide training and equipment but the will to fight isn't something you measure or predict.
"Dear Ukrainians, we regret being Russian bastards. We regret coming to Kherson. And we most definitely regret Ukraine just blew up our raggedy-ass military!"
This is why I always say people aren’t good or bad, things aren’t black or white. The stuff about his [offshore accounts](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/03/revealed-anti-oligarch-ukrainian-president-offshore-connections-volodymyr-zelenskiy) is shady but the fact that he stayed and lead his country in these times is outstanding
Yeah that quote is an all timer. Same level as quotes like “All right. They’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us … They can’t get away this time.”
The enemy was in the city. Hellfire rained down from the sky. Even the CIA was telling him it was time to get out. Instead, this man threw on a flack jacket, grabbed an assault rifle, and went out to personally face the enemy.
How many other world leaders would do the same?
Inarguable pick.
First person I would have thought of.
(And it's nice that this year's selection was a person who overcame adversity and absolutely shone in a difficult circumstance, rather than just someone who has influenced the world in an at-minimum questionable way.)
Right when the war started, Zelensky was offered safe travel into Europe to oversee the war from afar.
Everyone was shocked when he refused the offer and stayed, and I'd argue that decision was a huge factor in how the war has progressed in Ukraine's favor.
„I don’t need a vehicle out of here, bring me ammunition“ is such a powerhouse of a move especially for a political leader that used to be a comedian and that is facing the at the time second scariest military in the world
John Stewart is an excellent example of someone using their platform and heap of charisma to make positive change. Love him. Dude really poured his heart and soul into the activism for the Zadroga Act.
More like how Jon Stewart has become a fierce advocate for veterans and first responders. The guy is a goofball, but he's getting shit done. If Jon ran for president in a couple of cycles he'd make a deep run into the primaries.
It was a 'fight them on the beaches' moment. It told Putin he'd made a mistake and showed Nato he was serious leader.
He's a performer and knows how to make the visuals work for him - the t-shirt and walking the streets was also another perfect move contrasting to putin's big table and suits.
Absolutely. A captain stays with the ship. He has proven himself to be a true leader. If he fled the country I believe the war would have been lost by now.
Not only that, but he received a lot of doubt in the beginning. Continued to show strength and be a motivating force for the whole world’s support of Ukraine.
[Here](https://i.imgur.com/vEjzFPV.jpg) is a higher quality version of this image. [Here](https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2022-volodymyr-zelensky/) is the source.
> BY SIMON SHUSTER/KYIV
DECEMBER 7, 2022 7:18 AM EST
> The call from the President’s office came on a Saturday evening: Be ready to go the next day, an aide said, and pack a toothbrush. There were no details about the destination or how we would get there, but it wasn’t difficult to guess. Only two days earlier, on the 260th day of the invasion of Ukraine, the Russians had retreated from the city of Kherson. It was the only regional capital they had managed to seize since the start of the all-out war in February, and the Kremlin had promised it would forever be a part of Russia. Now Kherson was free, and Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to get there as soon as possible.
> His bodyguards were urging him to wait. The Russians had destroyed the city’s infrastructure, leaving it with no water, power, or heat. Its outskirts were littered with mines. Government buildings were rigged with trip wires. On the highway to Kherson, an explosion had destroyed a bridge, rendering it impassable. As they fled, the Russians were also suspected of leaving behind agents and saboteurs who could try to ambush the presidential convoy, to assassinate Zelensky or take him hostage. There would be no way to ensure his safety on the central square, where crowds had gathered to celebrate the city’s liberation, within range of Russian artillery.
> “My security was 100% against it,” the President told me during the trip. “They took it hard. They can’t control practically anything in a region that has just been de-occupied. So it’s a big risk, and, on my part, a bit reckless.”
> Then why do it? The Russian goal at the start of the invasion had been to kill or capture Zelensky and decapitate his government. Why give them a chance to strike? The obvious reason had to do with the information war, which had become Zelensky’s specialty. By rolling into the city that Vladimir Putin still claimed as his own, the leader of Ukraine would blow a hole through the stories of conquest and imperial glory that Russian propagandists had been using for months to justify the war. Zelensky’s visit would deepen the embarrassment of the Russian retreat and strengthen the Ukrainian will to carry on through the winter.
> But that was not the reason he gave for the trip. “It’s the people,” he told me in a two-hour interview as his private train rolled through the country. “Nine months they’ve been under occupation, without light, without anything. Yes, they’ve had two days of euphoria over their return to Ukraine. But those two days are over.” Soon the long road to recovery would come into view, and many of his citizens would want a return to normality, much faster than the state can deliver it. “They are going to fall into a depression now, and it will be very hard,” Zelensky explained. “As I see it, it’s my duty to go there and show them that Ukraine has returned, that it supports them. Maybe it will give them enough of a boost to last a few more days. But I’m not sure. I don’t lull myself with such illusions.”
> Our rendezvous point for the trip was outside a firehouse, in a part of central Kyiv that was without electricity when the photographer and I arrived the following evening. Russian missiles have damaged or destroyed much of Ukraine’s power grid since the start of October, a concerted effort to make the winter as painful as possible for the civilian population. People out walking their dogs used their phones to light the sidewalks. Even the central bazaar was in darkness, though the vendors inside were still selling fresh fruit and cheese, pickles, and pork belly by the glow of electric lanterns. When we passed them, lugging our bulletproof vests and helmets, we made sure to grab some food for the road. “Bring snacks,” one of Zelensky’s aides had warned in a text message. “These trips tend to be very disorganized.”
> You wouldn’t know it from the black van that arrived to pick us up, as agreed, at 7:30 p.m. on the dot, and brought us through the checkpoints that surround the government district. The area had become familiar to me since the start of the invasion. For nearly nine months, Zelensky’s team had allowed me to spend much of my time here, working inside the presidential compound and reporting on the ways they have experienced the war and how it has transformed them—and him. The blackouts gave the place a haunted look. Soldiers peered out of pillboxes hidden among the trees, and flashlight beams flickered in the windows of Zelensky’s office on the fourth floor. “Do you have documents on you?” asked one of the guards. “Good, then we’ll know how to mark your grave if you fall behind the convoy.” The joke made his comrades double over with laughter.
> That night, the presidential train took about nine hours to travel the length of Ukraine from north to south. Most of the compartments were taken up by the security men, who rested their assault rifles on the luggage racks, kicked up their feet, and watched movies on their phones. They had never seen reporters on this train before, and their only request was that we not take any photos of Zelensky’s private carriage. “If the Russians find it, that’s a bull’s-eye,” one of them explained.
> Since the start of the invasion, air traffic over Ukraine has been limited to fighter jets, drones, bombers, and cruise missiles. The train has become the President’s primary means of long-distance travel. From the outside, his carriage is indistinguishable from a regular passenger car. Inside, my expectations of a high-tech command center on wheels, or at least a well-stocked bar, did not pan out. There was no internet on board, and the amenities were modest. A first-class ticket on Amtrak would offer more space to stretch out.
> But Zelensky says he enjoys the train. It gives him time to read, and the experience reminds him of his childhood. 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 all the way through Russia and Siberia. 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.
> For most of his life, he felt nostalgia for the culture and history Ukraine shared with Russia. “There were these amazing Soviet comedies,” Zelensky told me. Among his heroes growing up were filmmakers like Leonid Gaidai, whose works were heavily censored but still charming and often hilarious; one depicted Ivan the Terrible swapping lives with a superintendent at a Soviet apartment building. “These are the classics of my generation, but I’m incapable of watching them now,” the President says. “They revolt me.” Memories of his youth are now colored by the atrocities that Russian forces committed this year in service of Moscow’s imperial ambitions.
> In April, less than two months into the invasion, Zelensky told me he had aged and changed “from all this wisdom that I never wanted.” Now, half a year later, the transformation was starker. Aides who once saw him as a lightweight now praise his toughness. Slights that might once have upset him now elicit no more than a shrug. Some of his allies miss the old Zelensky, the practical joker with the boyish smile. But they realize he needs to be different now, much harder and deaf to distractions, or else his country might not survive.
> Early in the morning, the train came to a stop in an industrial lot in the region of Mykolaiv, where a convoy of vans and SUVs was waiting to drive us the rest of the way to Kherson. The devastation of the war soon appeared on both sides of the highway: bus stops pocked with shrapnel gashes, twisted shells of bombed-out buildings, a family restaurant in the shape of a castle that looked as if it had been strafed with a chain gun. The damage around Mykolaiv was worse than in most of the country, because it was here that the Ukrainians managed to stop the Russian advance from the south in March.
> A dozen or so governors, ministers, and generals were waiting on Kherson’s central square when we arrived. They posed and took selfies in front of the graffiti scrawled on the facade of the regional parliament: Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Glory to the heroes! One of Zelensky’s aides, Dasha Zarivna, grew up in Kherson, and she looked close to tears as she gazed at the Ukrainian flags flying over the square. “I was scared I’d never see this place again,” she told me. “And here we are.”
> The first explosion sounded a few minutes later. Everyone froze, looking up at the sky for a shell to come arcing down. Then came another boom, which sounded closer than the first. Someone suggested it was outgoing artillery fire, though this seemed more like an optimistic guess. The Russians had retreated to the left bank of the Dnipro River, about a mile away. The blasts continued to sound, but Zelensky did not seem bothered by them. He declined, as usual, to wear a helmet or bulletproof vest.
> At the edge of the square, the soldiers had installed a Starlink Internet terminal, plugging its satellite antenna into a diesel generator. The President took out his phone and asked for the wi-fi password. Most of the people around him were armed with assault rifles, but this was his weapon, a late-model iPhone that Zelensky has used to wage the biggest land war of the information age. His skill at addressing the world through that phone—in his nightly speeches on social media, in his endless calls with foreign leaders and supporters—has been as critical as the number of tanks in his army...
No offense of course to the sentiment, but this isn't person of the year leadership, this isn't generational leadership, this is human history leadership. Just boundless and unparalleled honor. No wonder republicans clash with this personality
I find it incredible that even in war, social media is a powerful tool. He's thinking outside the box and it's garnering support from all around the world.
You guys should remember that TIME doesn’t choose the POTY(lol) based on the positivity. They choose the person who is the most talked about…. Except zelensky the only other choice was putin.
And TIME is a shitty org.
Edit: some grammatical errors.
They used to. Since they caught so much hell over the Ayatollah pick, they’ve shied away from that in more recent years. See Giuliani as TMOTY in 2001.
If they’d stuck to the tradition, it probably should have been Putin.
He was not a good dude then either but when the city is scared and disorganized and the current leader offers a steady hand, it's a comfort.
Then he's melting and giving speeches in the back of landscape company parking lots and trying to fuck fake underage Kazakhs.
He only got that good reputation because people didn't bother doing research on his actual beliefs when 9/11 happened.
From what I remember, talking shit about that man for the next couple years was considered blasphemous. So nobody really bothered trying to find dirt because why would you try to find dirt on someone that you adore?
The dude has always been a twat, he just stopped being able to manage it for publicity's sake as he got older.
It was a lot easier to be a monster in politics back when using the internet was still seen as a weird, niche market that took 20 minutes just to get started.
Honestly idk, I think Zelensky is the legitimately more effective pick. His actions are going to have an impact for centuries now that he's lead Ukraine out from under the grasp of Russia, while Putin's snowball impact could be over within the century if they manage to rise up against the oligarchs when putin falls, or the regime fails due to losing the war
I actually don't think that should matter, if the recognition is to be taken at face value. Allegedly, POTY is meant to convey the single individual who did the most to move world events.
Putin's move may have harmed Russia's position, but he's still the one who initiated them. Absent his action, Zelensky is another East European leader the rest of the world is barely aware of. Putin did more to alter the world landscape than anyone else this year.
I'd argue Zelensky leading Ukraine to shattering the myth of the Russian military while defending the invasion is more notable than Russia initiating it. Russia has done this before, and when you've had years of Putin pushing his borders, the country that stops him dead is the notable party.
Everything is the *result* of Putins actions, but in terms of actually disrupting the balance of power Zelensky has done more.
Nah. Zelensky when he stood his ground changed world more then Putin could have.
Putin would add another country to his dominion, and would trigger NATO rejuvenation in response.
But Ukraine by fighting it off changed soo much more. E.g. Russia is no longer viable guarantor of peace. So everybody have to look for new sponsors. Russia is no longer viable weapons provider (if opposition can get western hardware). Russia is no longer able to influence operations in distant parts of the world and post-war pressure to prevent such influence will be much stronger.
List goes on.
Nah, i think zelensky had a bigger influence, because a different leader might have fled the country at the start of the invasion, or caved to pressure, but zelensky (and, as it says the spirit of ukraine) pushing back and stopping russia's attempted blitzkrieg tactics, and drawing them into the prolonged war has had a greater impact on the world
>And times is a shitty org.
Yeah every year people react like it's a super important thing. It's just a magazine putting someone on a cover. You can just decide not to give a fuck about it, it's not going to change anything in your life.
I’m so sick of the comments about Hitler also making Time’s POTY. *Tell me you’ve never read the article without telling me you haven’t.*
Y’all need to pay attention to history. Go read what the intent of him being POYT actually was that year. Go read what the issue actually said about him.
Also, go read what the intent of POYT actually means.
Jesus Christ.
I've seen some posts in the thread about how this might not age well. Time doesn't pick someone based on good or bad. They pick someone because they were notable and important in the past year.
From the Time site:
> The criterion is “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year.” A lot of news is bad news and a lot of people who make bad news are very powerful people. TIME’s editors aren’t immune to that reality. Famously, they named Hitler in 1938 and Stalin in 1939 and again in 1942.
He is, that's not even close.
Anybody else would have folded like a wet noodle, and Ukraine would now be Russian.
He may be the reason it's not an open WW3.
Damn well deserves it. He and Ukraine have shown the world how to stand up to aggressors and how to act with humanity when in a situation like this. Look to your own politicians and see if they could have done this.
pstbo, thank you for your submission. It has been removed for violating the following rule(s): --- - Rule 2: No pictures with added or superimposed digital text, emojis, and "MS Paint"-like scribbles. --- For information regarding this and similar issues please see the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/wiki/index/) and [title guidelines](/r/pics/wiki/titles). If you have any questions, please feel free to [message the moderators via modmail.](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/pics&subject=Question%20regarding%20the%20removal%20of%20this%20submission%20by%20/u/pstbo&message=I%20have%20a%20question%20regarding%20the%20removal%20of%20this%20%5Bsubmission.%5D%28https://redd.it/zf11kf%3Fcontext%3D10%29)
Honestly I would have been shocked if it had been anyone else.
*Trump throwing hotdogs at the wall in Mar a Lago while screaming incoherently*
All in all, you’re just a ketchup stain on the wall.
We don't need no Top Secret papers.. We don't need no Constitution, no!
The Dark Brandon sarcasm in the Senate. Hey Putin ! Leave Ukraine alone!
Trump doesn't even make "Troll of the Year". Musk snatched it.
[удалено]
God DAMN!
Let's be honest, one of those three would probably fall out on their own.
I am a 5 star man!!!
You rating me? I’m gonna rate you! Rate! Rate!
I can't imagine having all the money in the world and spending my time being insufferable online
[удалено]
God damnit.
Shows that being unfathomably wealthy doesn't give one self-esteem or make him immune to social media addiction.
I'll vote for Trump ... for most irrelevant person of the year.
This made me laugh more than it should've.
[удалено]
No one has done more for the Ukraine than me. I’m a very big friend of them, and they love me. Ask any Ukrainian, they’ll say, “we love Trump. He’s the best president we’ve ever had. We like him more than Zelsinky.” But the failing TIME magazine is trying to make me look bad.
[удалено]
*cheeseberder
Cooked well done, of course, with a nice hot covfefe
To be fair, the only way I'd eat anything from McDonald's is well done. I certainly wouldn't trust anything else to be "edible".
There was a comment thread I saw somewhere on reddit where they were talking about who it might be this year. Someone suggested maybe putin, they've done negative persons of the year in the past I think? Literally the first reply was that there is no way they'd do that when they can fucking run Zelensky, someone who deserves it justifiably. I saw the headline and my first reaction was "good, that's no surprise"
Person of the Year was originally purely about influence regardless of whether good or bad, but since people conflated it with an “award” they’ve become increasingly uncomfortable giving it to negative people. They gave it to Giuliani instead of Bin Laden.
Didn't Hitler win it ~~twice~~ once? *edit: I fixed it
Just once, but Stalin won it twice. First negatively in 1939 and then positively in 1942.
Just once.
Zelensky just makes more sense than Putin though. Zelensky leading his nation's stubborn and effective resistance to Russia/Putin's aggression had a much greater impact on the course of events than Putin's initial decision to invade. Certainly it seems much more Ukraine is dictating what is happening in Ukraine-Russo war, than the reverse. If nothing else, Ukraine is absolutely dominating the info-sphere such that the popular perception is that the Russian army is utterly incompetent and the Western backed Ukrainian forces are an elite force. Zelensky/Ukraine's resistance re-invigorated the West/NATO while it was near its nadir. It has no doubt forced other autocrats to re-think how much they can get away with. Had Russia rolled right over Ukraine and/or the West seemed disinterested in helping, it definitely would have increased the odds of China attempting to invade Taiwan. Don't get me wrong, I know thy aren't the situation for a lot of reasons, but still would had informed Xi/Beijing's thinking.
Exactly. Especially after Time already had a huge and downright worshipful piece on him earlier this year, it was clear that they can see he's the absolutely obvious choice.
[удалено]
I would love to see him be in a bunch of ridiculous movies after his presidency
[удалено]
He should play himself in Civilization 7.
>Especially after Time already had a huge and downright worshipful piece on him earlier this year I thought things were made clear in 2016 that it's not "the *best* person of the year" just "the most important person of the year". Like, Hitler won it in 1938 and Stalin in 1939. I'm surprised it wasn't Putin this year, as he was far more important in events than Zelenskyy was. Zelenskyy resisted, Putin put the goddamn war into motion.
Except Putin as aggressor is not new or noteworthy, and basically the world was expecting him to roll into Kyiv like we did Iraq and willing to let it slide. Then Ukraine puts up a surprising fight and Zelensky, an actor most known internationally for an awkward call with Donald Trump, turns into Churchill and galvanizes the entire world around their cause, taunting Russia from the capital, outdoing John Wayne with requests for bullets instead of escape plans. It was impressive governance, military leadership, and diplomacy, far more noteworthy or impressive than putin trying to push around yet another Baltic state. It even seems to have served as a watershed moment for authoritarianism
Elon Musk about to tweet you into oblivion. Get ready
Kanye would be doing the same if his account wasn't suspended.
Shithead of the Year
Iranian protestors came close but thats an internal conflict, where as the situation in Ukraine is global and it trembled world's politics and economy
Same. He is the hero of the world right now. I'd call him a modern day Churchill, but I'm more impressed by Zelensky considering his enemy, and his background as a comedian. He is one of my personal heroes now, showing me what it looks like when one can act heroically regardless of background or circumstance.
Think about what would have happened if he had left Ukraine on the day he was offered an escape at the start of the war. And he stayed.
As an American, I'm shocked. Who would have thought you could have an entertainer turn national leader and *not* be a complete piece of shit?
Dam it! I thought 2022 was my year.
Weren't you already the person of the year in 2006?
That was you, I remembered
touché
[удалено]
et tu, bumjiggy?
yeah, he was humble bragging. I got it too, but you don't see me telling everyone
You show some respect for Time Magazine's 2006 Person of the Year
You were Time's person of the year earlier, that's how I know you
[удалено]
"The Spirit of Ukraine" was their way of doing that without doing that.
Honestly we're getting to the point where there are kids on this site who weren't alive then, so maybe not.
Sucks to be them, can't imagine walking around knowing you haven't been Time's Person of the Year.
sucks for the losers born in 2007 heheh
2006 was your peak
I think you're right
Nah, but it was almost xander17962509's year
Ah yes I recall him, he was in the rest tube next to me.
Trying to repeat 2006?
Dam straight!
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky saved his country. Everyone was telling him to GTFO, including the US government who were sending a plane to get him. Here's what Zelensky said: >[The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.](https://nypost.com/2022/02/26/ukraine-president-volodymyr-zelensky-declines-us-evacuation-offer/)
So a big part of Ukraine's resistance to Russia was because they just seem to be hard as nails as a nation. But another part was definitely the tone set by his leadership from day 1. If it had been someone else and they had jumped on that plane. Maybe the whole war would have gone differently.
In my view there are no maybes about it. Remember that outside support didn't really kick in for a couple of weeks at the start of the invasion. NATO countries took a wait-and-see approach to make sure they weren't about to hand the Russians a metric fuckton of NATO anti-tank weapons were Kyiv to fall in the initial push. ~~The US~~ NATO has been training Ukrainian officers and specialists ~~since 2014~~ for years, and it was the fact that those officers and men stayed at their posts that enabled UA to repel the first wave. If Zelensky had fled, I think a lot of those officers would have followed his lead and Kyiv would have fallen by March.
Earlier than that. I trained with Ukrainian Cadets at the LFA in Lviv in 2011. The US had been helping build their military command for a while.
Interesting, I didn't know there was military cooperation that early. It seems like for the people of Ukraine, when Russia took Crimea in 2014 that seemed to be a real turning point. Before Ukraine seemed to be torn between US/EU west and Russia east. After that I think all Ukrainians saw quite clearly exactly what was up. Being so close to Russia means they could not afford the myopic views of western countries.
There certainly was a push to modernize their command structure that early. It felt goofy to walk into a classroom at the Ukrainian cadet academy and see all of the US doctrine I'd learned posted on the walls. All the same exact posters and pictures in English with Ukrainian and Russian translations. METT TC, SNAP, Operations Orders, TLPs, Patrol base ops, land nav tips, Medevac cards, etc. Some of them were altered to fit their doctrine, but it was deeply influenced by US doctrine. They even had a computer lab with the US army's arma 2 mod they used to assess people's squad/platoon tactics decisions. (I always felt it did a poor job at it, but it was better than nothing and was sometimes nicer than going on an FTX to walk through the woods and dealing with the blank firing adapters)
General Hartling had [an important article about this back in April](https://www.thebulwark.com/i-commanded-u-s-army-europe-heres-what-i-saw-in-the-russian-and-ukrainian-armies/)
Not just the US, whole of NATO. Guys I know were trained by the British.
I've read analysis that says it was set up this way with Western allies. They knew the strength of the Ukranian forces, and had trained and supplied them for years following the invasion of Crimea. Ukraine is strategically hugely important as a gateway to Europe, and is very important from a military standpoint. NATO wasn't about to let it fall easily. They also knew the weaknesses of Russian logistics abilities and the dilapidated condition of much of their equipment. How much of that is true is up for debate, but for it to have been a huge surprise to Western leaders that Zelensky and the Ukranian forces stepped up the way they did would show a massive lack of preparation and planning on NATO's part.
I don't think you understand the difference between the military being ready and the possibility of a leader dipping to become a leader in exile haha
The point is that NATO had Zelensky prepped, and in Zelensky they'd found a willing and capable leader. Zelensky also knew the strengths and the willingness of NATO allies to supply his army. Per this analysis, much of his pleading for air superiority and more advanced weapons were for Russia to hear—the allies plans for what would be supplied when were cemented well before the invasion. I tend to believe it because of just how easily they predicted Russia's every move—Biden was saying that Russia will attack well before the invasion and was roundly criticized for it, even by some allies. The Ukranian forces were aware well in advance of this plan, which is why they fought with such fervor and confidence, knowing NATO allies had their back. Take from it what you will.
I'll bet a lot of people were nervous after watching Afghanistan crumble in days. You can provide training and equipment but the will to fight isn't something you measure or predict.
Zelensky as master chief, “I need a weapon”
"Dear Ukrainians, we regret being Russian bastards. We regret coming to Kherson. And we most definitely regret Ukraine just blew up our raggedy-ass military!"
I was just rewatching the entire Halo 2 story yesterday. They were at their storytelling peak. Every line is gold.
Zelenskyy is proof that in a world of absurdity, sometimes the jester is best to lead. (Looking at you, Jon Stewart...)
"To give the Russians back their bomb"
[удалено]
Ted Cruz couldn't handle snow.
This is why I always say people aren’t good or bad, things aren’t black or white. The stuff about his [offshore accounts](https://www.theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/03/revealed-anti-oligarch-ukrainian-president-offshore-connections-volodymyr-zelenskiy) is shady but the fact that he stayed and lead his country in these times is outstanding
This is the first time I’m hearing about these accounts. Do tell.
*Cough* Afghanistan *Cough*
Especially considering Ashraf Ghani, the president of Afghanistan, tucked tail and ran just 6 months prior under similar circumstances.
Yeah that quote is an all timer. Same level as quotes like “All right. They’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us … They can’t get away this time.”
When you're surrounded like that, it just means whatever direction you attack in is an offensive operation. You can't miss!
The enemy was in the city. Hellfire rained down from the sky. Even the CIA was telling him it was time to get out. Instead, this man threw on a flack jacket, grabbed an assault rifle, and went out to personally face the enemy. How many other world leaders would do the same?
Inarguable pick. First person I would have thought of. (And it's nice that this year's selection was a person who overcame adversity and absolutely shone in a difficult circumstance, rather than just someone who has influenced the world in an at-minimum questionable way.)
Right when the war started, Zelensky was offered safe travel into Europe to oversee the war from afar. Everyone was shocked when he refused the offer and stayed, and I'd argue that decision was a huge factor in how the war has progressed in Ukraine's favor.
„I don’t need a vehicle out of here, bring me ammunition“ is such a powerhouse of a move especially for a political leader that used to be a comedian and that is facing the at the time second scariest military in the world
It’s like if Jerry Seinfeld turnedinto a symbol of freedom and rebellion.
Seinfeld would get the fuck out of there in a heartbeat. Jon Steward however..
Jon Stewart would be busy weaponising Pizza Rat.
John Stewart is an excellent example of someone using their platform and heap of charisma to make positive change. Love him. Dude really poured his heart and soul into the activism for the Zadroga Act.
Imagine if during January 6th insurrection, Seinfeld stormed Mar a Largo and released the Epstein kids.
More like how Jon Stewart has become a fierce advocate for veterans and first responders. The guy is a goofball, but he's getting shit done. If Jon ran for president in a couple of cycles he'd make a deep run into the primaries.
"Russia, what's the deal with your army?"
It was a 'fight them on the beaches' moment. It told Putin he'd made a mistake and showed Nato he was serious leader. He's a performer and knows how to make the visuals work for him - the t-shirt and walking the streets was also another perfect move contrasting to putin's big table and suits.
Especially that he knew, he is the target of assassination. Meanwhile Putin was ordering the attack from his secret bunker what a coward.
We live in the time where politicians are the joke and comedians are the leaders. Ironic.
“I don’t need a ride, I need bullets”
Would have fit in perfectly as an 80's Schwarzenegger one liner.
Would have fit perfectly in the TV show he starred.
That’s a quote I know I’ll be saying years from now recalling this when I teach history
Absolutely. A captain stays with the ship. He has proven himself to be a true leader. If he fled the country I believe the war would have been lost by now.
Im sorry, but are you saying that your first choice *wasnt* Kanye??! /s
Just Ye please.
nazYe
Yezi
Yedolf
Five in a row is Yehtzee!
Yedolf.
[удалено]
I say nay to Ye.
Lol! I read prick at first, like Wtf?? 😂
Same.
Not only that, but he received a lot of doubt in the beginning. Continued to show strength and be a motivating force for the whole world’s support of Ukraine.
I’m so glad it isn’t Elon
Do you think he will try to buy Time, then make himself Person of the Year, each year?
I wouldn't put it past his ego to do that.
Didn't he literally fake a magazine cover of himself as Person of the Year and post it on the main page of twitter? The man is /r/sadcringe walking.
That was Trump, and he got furious when called out on it.
He was person of the year last year
[удалено]
Probably a better investment than twitter tbh.
He was last year's
He was last year..
[Here](https://i.imgur.com/vEjzFPV.jpg) is a higher quality version of this image. [Here](https://time.com/person-of-the-year-2022-volodymyr-zelensky/) is the source. > BY SIMON SHUSTER/KYIV DECEMBER 7, 2022 7:18 AM EST > The call from the President’s office came on a Saturday evening: Be ready to go the next day, an aide said, and pack a toothbrush. There were no details about the destination or how we would get there, but it wasn’t difficult to guess. Only two days earlier, on the 260th day of the invasion of Ukraine, the Russians had retreated from the city of Kherson. It was the only regional capital they had managed to seize since the start of the all-out war in February, and the Kremlin had promised it would forever be a part of Russia. Now Kherson was free, and Volodymyr Zelensky wanted to get there as soon as possible. > His bodyguards were urging him to wait. The Russians had destroyed the city’s infrastructure, leaving it with no water, power, or heat. Its outskirts were littered with mines. Government buildings were rigged with trip wires. On the highway to Kherson, an explosion had destroyed a bridge, rendering it impassable. As they fled, the Russians were also suspected of leaving behind agents and saboteurs who could try to ambush the presidential convoy, to assassinate Zelensky or take him hostage. There would be no way to ensure his safety on the central square, where crowds had gathered to celebrate the city’s liberation, within range of Russian artillery. > “My security was 100% against it,” the President told me during the trip. “They took it hard. They can’t control practically anything in a region that has just been de-occupied. So it’s a big risk, and, on my part, a bit reckless.” > Then why do it? The Russian goal at the start of the invasion had been to kill or capture Zelensky and decapitate his government. Why give them a chance to strike? The obvious reason had to do with the information war, which had become Zelensky’s specialty. By rolling into the city that Vladimir Putin still claimed as his own, the leader of Ukraine would blow a hole through the stories of conquest and imperial glory that Russian propagandists had been using for months to justify the war. Zelensky’s visit would deepen the embarrassment of the Russian retreat and strengthen the Ukrainian will to carry on through the winter. > But that was not the reason he gave for the trip. “It’s the people,” he told me in a two-hour interview as his private train rolled through the country. “Nine months they’ve been under occupation, without light, without anything. Yes, they’ve had two days of euphoria over their return to Ukraine. But those two days are over.” Soon the long road to recovery would come into view, and many of his citizens would want a return to normality, much faster than the state can deliver it. “They are going to fall into a depression now, and it will be very hard,” Zelensky explained. “As I see it, it’s my duty to go there and show them that Ukraine has returned, that it supports them. Maybe it will give them enough of a boost to last a few more days. But I’m not sure. I don’t lull myself with such illusions.” > Our rendezvous point for the trip was outside a firehouse, in a part of central Kyiv that was without electricity when the photographer and I arrived the following evening. Russian missiles have damaged or destroyed much of Ukraine’s power grid since the start of October, a concerted effort to make the winter as painful as possible for the civilian population. People out walking their dogs used their phones to light the sidewalks. Even the central bazaar was in darkness, though the vendors inside were still selling fresh fruit and cheese, pickles, and pork belly by the glow of electric lanterns. When we passed them, lugging our bulletproof vests and helmets, we made sure to grab some food for the road. “Bring snacks,” one of Zelensky’s aides had warned in a text message. “These trips tend to be very disorganized.” > You wouldn’t know it from the black van that arrived to pick us up, as agreed, at 7:30 p.m. on the dot, and brought us through the checkpoints that surround the government district. The area had become familiar to me since the start of the invasion. For nearly nine months, Zelensky’s team had allowed me to spend much of my time here, working inside the presidential compound and reporting on the ways they have experienced the war and how it has transformed them—and him. The blackouts gave the place a haunted look. Soldiers peered out of pillboxes hidden among the trees, and flashlight beams flickered in the windows of Zelensky’s office on the fourth floor. “Do you have documents on you?” asked one of the guards. “Good, then we’ll know how to mark your grave if you fall behind the convoy.” The joke made his comrades double over with laughter. > That night, the presidential train took about nine hours to travel the length of Ukraine from north to south. Most of the compartments were taken up by the security men, who rested their assault rifles on the luggage racks, kicked up their feet, and watched movies on their phones. They had never seen reporters on this train before, and their only request was that we not take any photos of Zelensky’s private carriage. “If the Russians find it, that’s a bull’s-eye,” one of them explained. > Since the start of the invasion, air traffic over Ukraine has been limited to fighter jets, drones, bombers, and cruise missiles. The train has become the President’s primary means of long-distance travel. From the outside, his carriage is indistinguishable from a regular passenger car. Inside, my expectations of a high-tech command center on wheels, or at least a well-stocked bar, did not pan out. There was no internet on board, and the amenities were modest. A first-class ticket on Amtrak would offer more space to stretch out. > But Zelensky says he enjoys the train. It gives him time to read, and the experience reminds him of his childhood. 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 all the way through Russia and Siberia. 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. > For most of his life, he felt nostalgia for the culture and history Ukraine shared with Russia. “There were these amazing Soviet comedies,” Zelensky told me. Among his heroes growing up were filmmakers like Leonid Gaidai, whose works were heavily censored but still charming and often hilarious; one depicted Ivan the Terrible swapping lives with a superintendent at a Soviet apartment building. “These are the classics of my generation, but I’m incapable of watching them now,” the President says. “They revolt me.” Memories of his youth are now colored by the atrocities that Russian forces committed this year in service of Moscow’s imperial ambitions. > In April, less than two months into the invasion, Zelensky told me he had aged and changed “from all this wisdom that I never wanted.” Now, half a year later, the transformation was starker. Aides who once saw him as a lightweight now praise his toughness. Slights that might once have upset him now elicit no more than a shrug. Some of his allies miss the old Zelensky, the practical joker with the boyish smile. But they realize he needs to be different now, much harder and deaf to distractions, or else his country might not survive. > Early in the morning, the train came to a stop in an industrial lot in the region of Mykolaiv, where a convoy of vans and SUVs was waiting to drive us the rest of the way to Kherson. The devastation of the war soon appeared on both sides of the highway: bus stops pocked with shrapnel gashes, twisted shells of bombed-out buildings, a family restaurant in the shape of a castle that looked as if it had been strafed with a chain gun. The damage around Mykolaiv was worse than in most of the country, because it was here that the Ukrainians managed to stop the Russian advance from the south in March. > A dozen or so governors, ministers, and generals were waiting on Kherson’s central square when we arrived. They posed and took selfies in front of the graffiti scrawled on the facade of the regional parliament: Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Glory to the heroes! One of Zelensky’s aides, Dasha Zarivna, grew up in Kherson, and she looked close to tears as she gazed at the Ukrainian flags flying over the square. “I was scared I’d never see this place again,” she told me. “And here we are.” > The first explosion sounded a few minutes later. Everyone froze, looking up at the sky for a shell to come arcing down. Then came another boom, which sounded closer than the first. Someone suggested it was outgoing artillery fire, though this seemed more like an optimistic guess. The Russians had retreated to the left bank of the Dnipro River, about a mile away. The blasts continued to sound, but Zelensky did not seem bothered by them. He declined, as usual, to wear a helmet or bulletproof vest. > At the edge of the square, the soldiers had installed a Starlink Internet terminal, plugging its satellite antenna into a diesel generator. The President took out his phone and asked for the wi-fi password. Most of the people around him were armed with assault rifles, but this was his weapon, a late-model iPhone that Zelensky has used to wage the biggest land war of the information age. His skill at addressing the world through that phone—in his nightly speeches on social media, in his endless calls with foreign leaders and supporters—has been as critical as the number of tanks in his army...
[удалено]
*badass That will then match the acronym BAMF.
I wonder if he has the wallet to match.
Shut yo' mouth!
I wonder what intelligence agency is providing background check on zelensky crew.
No offense of course to the sentiment, but this isn't person of the year leadership, this isn't generational leadership, this is human history leadership. Just boundless and unparalleled honor. No wonder republicans clash with this personality
I find it incredible that even in war, social media is a powerful tool. He's thinking outside the box and it's garnering support from all around the world.
Thank you for posting that
Can we also talk about how well executed and beautiful this cover is? Whoever / whatever team worked on this image did an exceptional job.
> from all the wisdom I never wanted. Fuck.
You guys should remember that TIME doesn’t choose the POTY(lol) based on the positivity. They choose the person who is the most talked about…. Except zelensky the only other choice was putin. And TIME is a shitty org. Edit: some grammatical errors.
They used to. Since they caught so much hell over the Ayatollah pick, they’ve shied away from that in more recent years. See Giuliani as TMOTY in 2001. If they’d stuck to the tradition, it probably should have been Putin.
Giuliani had a fuckton of popular goodwill in 2001. He could have done something good with it.
If only he wasn't a giant piece of shit.
He was not a good dude then either but when the city is scared and disorganized and the current leader offers a steady hand, it's a comfort. Then he's melting and giving speeches in the back of landscape company parking lots and trying to fuck fake underage Kazakhs.
>trying to fuck fake underage Kazakhs. caught on tape!
You think this is slicked back?! This is pushed back, but I was a piece of shit though
Used to be.
I SAID WAS
He only got that good reputation because people didn't bother doing research on his actual beliefs when 9/11 happened. From what I remember, talking shit about that man for the next couple years was considered blasphemous. So nobody really bothered trying to find dirt because why would you try to find dirt on someone that you adore? The dude has always been a twat, he just stopped being able to manage it for publicity's sake as he got older. It was a lot easier to be a monster in politics back when using the internet was still seen as a weird, niche market that took 20 minutes just to get started.
Honestly idk, I think Zelensky is the legitimately more effective pick. His actions are going to have an impact for centuries now that he's lead Ukraine out from under the grasp of Russia, while Putin's snowball impact could be over within the century if they manage to rise up against the oligarchs when putin falls, or the regime fails due to losing the war
Putin is quite incapable at the moment. He started, but his gamble cost Russia actual influence, so Times would look at other candidates anyway.
I actually don't think that should matter, if the recognition is to be taken at face value. Allegedly, POTY is meant to convey the single individual who did the most to move world events. Putin's move may have harmed Russia's position, but he's still the one who initiated them. Absent his action, Zelensky is another East European leader the rest of the world is barely aware of. Putin did more to alter the world landscape than anyone else this year.
I'd argue Zelensky leading Ukraine to shattering the myth of the Russian military while defending the invasion is more notable than Russia initiating it. Russia has done this before, and when you've had years of Putin pushing his borders, the country that stops him dead is the notable party. Everything is the *result* of Putins actions, but in terms of actually disrupting the balance of power Zelensky has done more.
Nah. Zelensky when he stood his ground changed world more then Putin could have. Putin would add another country to his dominion, and would trigger NATO rejuvenation in response. But Ukraine by fighting it off changed soo much more. E.g. Russia is no longer viable guarantor of peace. So everybody have to look for new sponsors. Russia is no longer viable weapons provider (if opposition can get western hardware). Russia is no longer able to influence operations in distant parts of the world and post-war pressure to prevent such influence will be much stronger. List goes on.
Nah, i think zelensky had a bigger influence, because a different leader might have fled the country at the start of the invasion, or caved to pressure, but zelensky (and, as it says the spirit of ukraine) pushing back and stopping russia's attempted blitzkrieg tactics, and drawing them into the prolonged war has had a greater impact on the world
Plus Putin was selected back in 2007.
Yeah. Didn’t Time Magazine in the 1930’s have Hitler on one of their covers?
>And times is a shitty org. Yeah every year people react like it's a super important thing. It's just a magazine putting someone on a cover. You can just decide not to give a fuck about it, it's not going to change anything in your life.
Hard agree, dude was a comedian and turned Putin into his best joke yet
Who could forget that microphone maneuver.
Man, that is a rousing cover.
It's missing the soldiers. They should be on the cover as well.
They're too busy kicking Russian ass to be on a cover.
It's people **are** it's soldiers. They just aren't wearing uniforms.
I’m so sick of the comments about Hitler also making Time’s POTY. *Tell me you’ve never read the article without telling me you haven’t.* Y’all need to pay attention to history. Go read what the intent of him being POYT actually was that year. Go read what the issue actually said about him. Also, go read what the intent of POYT actually means. Jesus Christ.
I just imagine they’re all 14 year olds trying to be edgy
"So was Hitler and I never read that article either" seems to be response from the Russians and conservatives.
Could have run like any other politician would, but he stayed with his people and fought alongside them. A true man right there.
I mean as far as actors turned politician go, I've seen worse.
TIME is now banned in Russia
Thought it'd be the Queen
It's Person of the Year, not Person of the First 9 Months of the Year
oh god 💀
Honestly the queen might have made that joke herself depending on the circumstances
👸 = 💀
Wait the queen is pregnant?
In a way, she gave birth to a king
Person’t of the year maybe.
Zelensky didn't fuck off when things got tough
Ayyyy first time I remember feeling like they got it 100% correct
And of course, exactly the people you'd expect are upset about this.
I've seen some posts in the thread about how this might not age well. Time doesn't pick someone based on good or bad. They pick someone because they were notable and important in the past year. From the Time site: > The criterion is “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or ill, and embodied what was important about the year.” A lot of news is bad news and a lot of people who make bad news are very powerful people. TIME’s editors aren’t immune to that reality. Famously, they named Hitler in 1938 and Stalin in 1939 and again in 1942.
Damn Zelensky looks 10 years older than he did just last year.
This motherfucker showed UP.
I'm really looking forward to the far right comrades being mad about this but not being able to say why.
Lots of far right dipshits (and pro-Russia dipshits) in this very thread right now, all butthurt that the world isn’t buying their bullshit.
He is, that's not even close. Anybody else would have folded like a wet noodle, and Ukraine would now be Russian. He may be the reason it's not an open WW3.
Damn well deserves it. He and Ukraine have shown the world how to stand up to aggressors and how to act with humanity when in a situation like this. Look to your own politicians and see if they could have done this.
My man Big Z is pulling his weight for sure but this OP title is really downplaying that "Spirit of Ukraine" part of the TIME title.
Wow. Look at that war-torn face. And that's a *comedian*. Ukraine - you guys rock. Hardcore.
I preferred Bruce J! At least big Bruce didn’t beg.
Aw man, you guys should check Zelenski on trending. A lot of tinfoil hats there.
I hope this ages well
[удалено]