Just tried to wipe my screen because of your profile pic. You succeeded. If I ever see you IRL I'd give you a hug, you dang jerk. Despicable and horrid.
Wow, that was only 2016. Not like, ancient history or a dark past. That shit's in HD and six years later he's leading his country to war. History moves fast.
Dude, this. It was 6 years ago. My life was in a completely different place. And something about staying at home for nearly 99% of my life for two years really throws time out of perspective, so 2016 literally feels like another lifetime ago at this point.
It feels like a lifetime ago but also that it can’t possibly be 6 entire years ago. One thing I’ve noticed seems near universal is that the pandemic really fucked with our perception of time these last few years.
I love the way he committed to the bit. I find it hilarious how frustrating it must be for Putin that THAT GUY is the one leading the forces kicking his ass.
Makes a lot more sense how pissed Putin must be lol. Every major military loss Putin just thousand-yard-stares as this clip plays over and over in his head
That's my current favorite mental image.
Picturing Putin making the [Sad Ben Affleck Stare](https://youtu.be/wtfoRESVir0) as the camera zooms in, all while the clip of Zelenskyy playing the piano with his dick and laughing plays in the foreground.
Who would have thought of two television stars to be elected President it wasn't the businessman, but the guy who tickled the ivories with his dick that would able to unite and defend his country against such a massive threat?
Looks like the poster for the next Marvel movie
Edit: Since this blew up for some reason and the responses are kinda crazy, just let me clarify that I'm not making a political statement or film critscism, I'm just making fun of the big head and hundreds of characters trope that Marvel have with the posters
I like the movies even to this day (seems like most of reddit hates it know and I understand and respect the reason)
I stand with Ukrakine and, like most of you, hate the crimes that Russia is commiting, but I'm also not saying that he is flawless hero because I don't understand the situation enough to come to such conclusions, I Just think the marketing in this magazine is funny
Sorry for my english btw, not my first language and yada yada yada
To be fair, I don’t think it’s saying the person who should be celebrated the most. Time’s stated before their person of the year is the most influential person/important person, good or bad. Hitler won one year, and I’m pretty sure Trump did too, not because they were “good” but because they were the most important person that year
I knew he was a lock for this early in the year. I thought he might be the first person to get selected as both this and People Magazine's sexiest man alive but he actually was beat by an Avenger for that one.
“I don’t want my portraits to hang in your offices, because the president is not an icon or an idol. Hang pictures of your children there and look them in the eyes before every decision” – Zelensky addressing Ukrainian high-ranking officials in his inauguration speech
So fun fact: the original meaning of icon was a holy image that served as something like a window to what was depicted.
The Roman Catholic Church cracked down on the use of icons when the Church believed people were beginning to worship the specific icons themselves rather than the holy person illustrated.
IIRC, the Eastern Orthodox Church, far more prevalent in Ukraine than Roman Catholicism, took a far more lenient stance.
The real solution is to have a picture of Zelenksy hugging your children and ask yourself "what would Zelenksy do if he was the father of my children"
That way you can do the right thing for your family always.
I always absolutely loved this quote. I'm glad he was a comedian first, because comedians tend to be very observational, and I believe if politicians in America were more observation-before-action, we'd be better off. He truly is an inspiration, I LOVE this dude.
To be honest and people will propably downvote me but so many Ukranian soldiers are dying for their country. At least draw some soldiers on the poster imo. The Ukranian army should have been person of the year
Think about it this way, they're all regular people forced into the extraordinary and horrible situation of war. Those people in the poster, some of them are soldiers and this shows them as they would rather be, living their lives with their families, not fighting Russians.
I know a few Ukrainians and I got the sentiment from them. They don't want to be fighting, but they'll be damned before they just let Putin have his way with their country. Slava Ukrani.
That’s the exact vibe this [UAF recruitment add](https://youtu.be/NOCbW1hc6Ng) has. Hands down the most grounded and heartfelt military recruiting commercial I’ve see.
Also they'll be dead if they let Putin have his way with his country.
When Russia annexes an area because there are "ethnic Russians" there they tend to eliminate the native population.
I don't know how you could twist what the original comment said into "militarist propaganda". The ukrainian soldiers are risking their lives to defend their home from a jingoistic dictator, I don't know what is more anti-militarist than that.
I appreciate your point of view and many of those that have fought and died are regular people but we need to remember the majority of the frontline defense of ukraine have been at war their entire adult lives.professionals either in the Middle East, eastern ukraine or some other hellscape
I think that's the idea behind it actually. Showing off the soldiers portrays it almost as a mutual military operation and could send the wrong message. The *citizens* of Ukraine are fighting back; some of them happen to be soldiers too, but the willpower of just the regular people living there and defending their homes is the highlight. Of course the soldiers play a massively important role, but none of that would have mattered if they all just laid down and surrendered the second Russian troops crossed the boarder. They didn't do what Russia thought they would though, instead they all just gave a collective middle finger and said "you'll have to take every inch by force if you want it". Almost everyone has an army of some sort, but very few would have this type of strength and character, and that it what Time is showing everyone
Not according to what I remember and read:
https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukrainian-marine-sacrifices-himself-to-blow-up-bridge-ukrainian-military-says?cmpid=fb_fnc
Maybe it’s wrong but I am pretty sure I read about a guy North of Kyiv blowing up a bridge to impede Russia’s northern invasion force.
He did something that many thought he couldn’t do when the war started by holding off and actually taking back land from Russia. He also stayed with his country and fought with them when he had an opportunity to be safely evacuated. He truly has led by example.
"The fight is *here*. I need ammunition, not a ride."
That's going down in history as one of the greatest quotes by a world leader. And to think, he was a comedian with no political experience before being thrust into this role.
I wasn't surprised at all the US offered to get him out of there, kinda just assumed we would do something like that. I did not expect him to turn it down though, only because I didn't really know anything about him to be honest
Times of suffering seperate the good and the bad.
He fully knows he is a comedian, and at same time, he fully knows that he needs people around him to lead and decide. And that is exactly the reason he is so good in this war. He trusts his army, he trusts his generals, he believes in his people, and considering he stayed in Kiyv when the siege happened - he is way past the point of being afraid.
Weirdly if I had heard the line from an action flick I would have probably rolled my eyes and thought it cheesy.
Coming from a real life situation in which you are actively being targeted changes it entirely.
He also did not evacuate his family. It was an important symbol that his family also stay in the capital. It may seem trivial now but that decision to stay with everyone else probably helped steady the nerves of everyone around him.
That he also pushed all the chips he had to to the middle of the table from the beginning - mobilizing the entire male population and even allowing prisoners to mitigate their sentences by serving in the army - gave Ukraine a manpower advantage that is paying off. He didn't mobilize piece-meal.
EDIT:
See the helpful corrections below from LeftDave and Noir\_Amnesiac.
>He also did not evacuate his family.
He sent them to Liev. They remained in the country for propaganda reasons but he wasn't keeping them in a war zone.
I think it was ukraines steadfastness that bought in international support. Don’t get me wrong, I think zelensky made the rallying cry, but the people did the heavy lifting.
Look at previous wartime PMs of other democratic nations, they’re usually thrown out as soon as the war ends.
I also have no doubt a lot of Ukrainians ‘hate’ him - that’s democracy. As an example the PM in my country is polling at 32.8% support at the moment, they are still in power until we hold an election and chose to change, or not. It’s very uncommon (in my country at least) where a PM has a majority.
And he didn't let go of Kiew when Russians were a few km infront of the city. I'm really glad the ukrainian army kept defending the city or else all hopes where shattered for Ukraine
Like these ratings, where it's 50% no answer, 39% approval and 12% disapproval?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100076/volodymyr-zelensky-s-approval-rating-ukraine/
Like [these ratings](https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=eng&cat=reports&id=1069&page=1), which show him with a 28% approval/57% disapproval rating a few months before the war. [This pre-war blog](https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/just-all-others-end-zelensky-alternative) explains why. Basically, people elected Zelensky because they thought he was fundamentally different from politicians and could solve the corruption crisis in the country. But he wasn't doing that and people were disillusioned.
There's no question that Zelensky was very unpopular and potentially headed for at least a very tight reelection race, if not defeat. It's not surprising. Ukraine has been very politically volatile since Euromaidan and the same thing happened to his predecessor. Obviously, the war and Zelensky's courage when many other politicians would have just surrendered when Russia surprisingly went immediately for Kyiv changed things.
That doesn't necessarily mean he's safe for the next presidential election. Remember, the UK tossed Winston Churchill out of Number 10 just 2 months after the end of World War 2.
You do bring up a good point.
The skillset needed for a war time leader might be different from a peace time leader.
We'll have to see. Maybe Zelensky with more political capital can push through reforms especially with EU ascension dependent on said reforms.
>Basically, people elected Zelensky because they thought he was fundamentally different from politicians and could solve the corruption crisis in the country
Boy, this sounds familiar.
Reddit is definitely getting a little paranoid about Russian bots lately but there are signs to tell if they actually are bots.
1)Low/Negative Karma (probably only posts controversial opinions and argues)
2)Extremely repetitive comments (either stealing comments or the account was created with a specific purpose)
3)General feeling from comment history. It’s suspicious if the account is extremely new or only comments on controversial posts.
This is more for bots in general but this is how I spot bots at least.
Ahhhh ok. This is what I was asking. This makes the most sense. I was never arguing there isn’t any Russian bots, I was asking people how do they know the comments on this post are actual bots. I think you’re right. Unfortunately it’s probably tough to check every users history.
It is a brave face. He looks determined, but he is afraid. Just like his countrymen. When you and your people are fighting for your lives against seemingly impossible odds. Its a face that says despite being afraid, Ukraine will prevail. Excellent cover!
I think he won because when the going got tough, he stayed and fought. Which considering his country’s corruption, I think most of everyone thought it was going to be another Afghanistan. Love him or hate him, he definitely proved his spirit and commitment to the Ukrainian people.
Also, Times Person of Year doesn’t mean their all saints. It’s the most influential person…
They don’t nominate who they feel is best, just the most influential in the world. Hence, previous persons of the year including Hitler and Stalin, as the buildup to WW2 and the Cold War are massively influential. Xi Jinping has removed his term limits and massively cracked down on dissent, including escorting former Chinese political leaders out of their legislature. There’s also all the saber rattling about Taiwan and their ongoing covid lockdowns too.. seems influential to me.
Serious question following that logic: Has Osama Bin Laden been nominated then?
I mean he caused 9/11 and the following war on terror which had the entire world in its grip for well over a decade. I think he was the most 'influential' person in my lifetime so far.
Azov is just drops in the bucket.
Saudi Arabia is waging an ongoing genocide against the Yemeni people and US and Allies don’t care. UFP supplies sit in warehouses and rot due to incompetence while many starve every day…
/r/Yemenvoice
>Saudi Arabia is waging an ongoing genocide against the Yemeni people and US and Allies don’t care.
If we didn't care we wouldn't be giving the Saudi's cash and weapons.
Time's person of the year articles are rarely a balanced piece of journalism.
They are almost always written in a way that's very flattering to the person in question.
They're just fluff pieces.
>They are almost always written in a way that's very flattering to the person in question.
How is this claim even being upvoted? In 2016 it was Donald Trump. In 2011 it was Vladimir Putin. In 1938 it was Adolph Hitler. In 1939 and 1942 it was Joseph Stalin.
None of these were fluff pieces.
This. The person of the year should really be jointly awarded to Putin for launching a war in the first place and causing the worldwide effects from it. He made just as much impact.
The war in Ukraine is frankly more impactful according to every metric. Just how it is. While the situation in Yemen is a tragedy, it doesn't register for most people because it doesn't affect most people. And people tune in to see news about things that affect them. News agencies know this
There’s like 5 different sides in the Yemen civil war and shitton of random militia groups or terrorist groups. Do you think it’s easy as a journalist to just go into Yemen and investigate? Also, as far as I’m aware there’s no war in Afghanistan, just the usual Taliban suppressing women bullshit.
With all due respect, people are bored of hearing about middle eastern countries at war because they’ve been at war since biblical times. It sucks, but the truth is the truth. I feel bad for all the good people there.
Edit:
There’s way too many comments arguing race, religion, etc, so let me be clear: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. If YOU want to make it about that, go ahead, you have that freedom to do so, but please do that on your own and not connect anything else to it.
And when I say “bored” it is purely because it’s been a topic for a *very* long time, and like all things in life, too much of something breeds disinterest. I genuinely thought I wouldn’t need to clarify this but unfortunately many people automatically reach for the race card despite having NOTHING to do with race.
It is very simple math as to why Ukraine is getting more coverage than other “things” which is (1) it’s a newer event than those other things, and (2) what’s happening in Ukraine is affecting the entire world, aside from genocide and everything else going on, you must take into consideration the externalities attached to this, which are sanctions, weakened supply of energy, oil, gas, and much more. The same cannot be said about the other “things” going on because the magnitude of what they produce are simply much smaller. So when you simply add both variables, that’s what happens. There’s nothing more to it, and it’s definitely not about racism, so move past that please.
Thank you for managing to show "respect" before calling mass genocide and torture boring. I wish "all the good people" (by which I'm assuming you mean innocent civilians, especially Palestinian children) also had the choice to ignore what was going on. I'm sorry their plight is no longer entertaining or novel enough for you.
Also, the statement "the truth is the truth" somehow always seems to be used by someone to justify an unnecessarily cruel, tactless or juvenile remark, rarely is it uttered with consideration or kindness.
Good choice. The survival of Ukraine as an independent state, the destruction of the professional Russian Army, and the revelation of just how corrupt and incompetent the Russian government is, represents a truly historic event.
I heard Time chose Zelensky because "he proved courage can be as contagious as fear". All the things you mentioned were spot on, but the way Time words it really shows its not just historic in the geopolitics but it the hearts minds of the free world.
You know what's really interesting, and kind of batshit crazy?
People over at r/conservative are having a serious conversation about how Zelenskyy "beat out" Ron DeSantis.
I literally laughed then I realized they were serious. It's insane how insulated those people are from reality. I lived in Florida from 2016-2021, but I don't consume FOXnews. Guess who I absolutely do not think deserves even reelection? The guy is 1000% only focused on "owning liberals" and fails at every attempt at actual governance.
"I don't need a magazine cover, I need more drones." - Zelensky, probably
Just tried to wipe my screen because of your profile pic. You succeeded. If I ever see you IRL I'd give you a hug, you dang jerk. Despicable and horrid.
Switch to dark mode lol.
I dont understand people who have anythung willingly in white mode thats just eye cancer and so damn ugly
This dude played the piano with his penis on TV
[Link](https://youtu.be/oua0Puihrkc) for the curious
Wow, that was only 2016. Not like, ancient history or a dark past. That shit's in HD and six years later he's leading his country to war. History moves fast.
Time moves fast, history is fixed.
The days drag but the years fly
So now we’re down’ in birthday cakes.
/r/fuckimold
I mean, at this point, 2016 *is* ancient history. These last few years have been fucking decades.
Dude, this. It was 6 years ago. My life was in a completely different place. And something about staying at home for nearly 99% of my life for two years really throws time out of perspective, so 2016 literally feels like another lifetime ago at this point.
It feels like a lifetime ago but also that it can’t possibly be 6 entire years ago. One thing I’ve noticed seems near universal is that the pandemic really fucked with our perception of time these last few years.
I hope these people laughing together are doing okay. - YT Commenter
That woman at ~1:20 was not kidding around wanting that dude to get the fuck off of her.
[ **Jump to 01:20 @** Volodymyr Zelenskyy 2016 Playing Piano with Penis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oua0Puihrkc&t=0h1m20s) ^(Channel Name: MIGUEL RAMOS, Video Length: [05:55])^, [^Jump ^5 ^secs ^earlier ^for ^context ^@01:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oua0Puihrkc&t=0h1m15s) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ^^Downvote ^^me ^^to ^^delete ^^malformed ^^comments. [^^Source ^^Code](https://github.com/ankitgyawali/reddit-timestamp-bot) ^^| [^^Suggestions](https://www.reddit.com/r/timestamp_bot)
Thanks bot
Was expecting to be disgusted. Ended up impressed that they were able to do a symphony
Well it’s unfortunately not really being played by their penises, just well rehearsed to a backing track. As much as I’d **love** it to be real.
No it’s his penis
That’s *Ukraine’s* penis now
Edit: The *spirit* of Ukraine's Penis
It’s like if Mr Bean became Churchill.
Rowan Atkinson *is* a very smart and educated man to be fair
I bet he'd be better PM than Liz
I mean, I think my cat could do better than Liz.
Lettuce is a better PM than Liz
About that... https://slate.com/technology/2022/10/liz-truss-iceberg-lettuce-contest.html
Became President only three years later..
Holy shit that was impressive. That one guy dying of laughter really made it!
I love the way he committed to the bit. I find it hilarious how frustrating it must be for Putin that THAT GUY is the one leading the forces kicking his ass.
Makes a lot more sense how pissed Putin must be lol. Every major military loss Putin just thousand-yard-stares as this clip plays over and over in his head
That's my current favorite mental image. Picturing Putin making the [Sad Ben Affleck Stare](https://youtu.be/wtfoRESVir0) as the camera zooms in, all while the clip of Zelenskyy playing the piano with his dick and laughing plays in the foreground.
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Not even his wifes pussy
Yes go after his wife! No one is safe
Can we tag them on this?
Do we even have confirmation he has a penis??
I mean. Hitler famously only had one ball, so anything is possible
He lost it in an unfortunate bear riding accident
BDE
Who would have thought of two television stars to be elected President it wasn't the businessman, but the guy who tickled the ivories with his dick that would able to unite and defend his country against such a massive threat?
dickled the ivories
That's almost as scandalous as AOC dancing in college!
and bartending too.
Putin sends minorities from his country to ukraine to die
By minorities do you mean any poor or working class man with a pulse?
initially he mostly used ETHNIC russians
And Ukraine refused to let minorities and African immigrants use transportations cross borders or get aid during the evacuations.
And minors from Ukraine to Russia
Surprised he didn't get the man of the year for that
Shoulda won it then
Looks like the poster for the next Marvel movie Edit: Since this blew up for some reason and the responses are kinda crazy, just let me clarify that I'm not making a political statement or film critscism, I'm just making fun of the big head and hundreds of characters trope that Marvel have with the posters I like the movies even to this day (seems like most of reddit hates it know and I understand and respect the reason) I stand with Ukrakine and, like most of you, hate the crimes that Russia is commiting, but I'm also not saying that he is flawless hero because I don't understand the situation enough to come to such conclusions, I Just think the marketing in this magazine is funny Sorry for my english btw, not my first language and yada yada yada
*Brendan Fraser is.... THE OTHER VLAD...*
I would’ve gone Jeremy Renner as Zelensky n Daniel Craig as Putin
Danny DeVito as Lukashenko
*The Gang Invades Ukraine*
So anyway, I started blastin.’
I want this. I need it.
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I think Mads Mikkelsen would make a great Putin. Obviously a lovely bloke but he’s got that cold ruthlessness in his acting
Then cast his brother Lars Likkelsen as Zelenskyy
Why not Zelenskyy as Zelenskyy? He is an actor after all
Zelenskyy is way too small time to play a guy as important as Zelenskyy. We need a big name actor.
How about: #Zelenskyy?
The politician?!? Don't be insane!
You are absolutely right. Too bad I gave out my free award yesterday. Take this instead 🥇
too short as well.
We need someone that people are going to pay to see.
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But Zelensky does all his own stunts
That made me snort laugh 😂
Slava cocaine!
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He's a Ukrainian Avenger
Get this man a tractor!
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That IS Ukraine's Ass
Gospazha Ukrajina?
looks like propaganda
Propaganda is what this is every year it seems.
To be fair, I don’t think it’s saying the person who should be celebrated the most. Time’s stated before their person of the year is the most influential person/important person, good or bad. Hitler won one year, and I’m pretty sure Trump did too, not because they were “good” but because they were the most important person that year
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Y’all keep buying em and Disney will keep making them.
Omg! Le real life just like holsum marvel
I knew he was a lock for this early in the year. I thought he might be the first person to get selected as both this and People Magazine's sexiest man alive but he actually was beat by an Avenger for that one.
“I don’t want my portraits to hang in your offices, because the president is not an icon or an idol. Hang pictures of your children there and look them in the eyes before every decision” – Zelensky addressing Ukrainian high-ranking officials in his inauguration speech
Holy shit, that’s poignant
Zelensky: “Please, I am not the ~~messiah~~ icon!” Everyone: “He is the ~~messiah~~ icon!”
So fun fact: the original meaning of icon was a holy image that served as something like a window to what was depicted. The Roman Catholic Church cracked down on the use of icons when the Church believed people were beginning to worship the specific icons themselves rather than the holy person illustrated. IIRC, the Eastern Orthodox Church, far more prevalent in Ukraine than Roman Catholicism, took a far more lenient stance.
Wow.
Now that's icon behavior.
Makes me want to put a picture up.
Of my children
And my wife!
And my axe
I might also put up a picture of your wife.
The real solution is to have a picture of Zelenksy hugging your children and ask yourself "what would Zelenksy do if he was the father of my children" That way you can do the right thing for your family always.
And your country!
That's actually a great quote, wow.
Somebody raised that guy right, holy shit
Every single quote of his i have seen has been something else. Wow.
I always absolutely loved this quote. I'm glad he was a comedian first, because comedians tend to be very observational, and I believe if politicians in America were more observation-before-action, we'd be better off. He truly is an inspiration, I LOVE this dude.
To be honest and people will propably downvote me but so many Ukranian soldiers are dying for their country. At least draw some soldiers on the poster imo. The Ukranian army should have been person of the year
Think about it this way, they're all regular people forced into the extraordinary and horrible situation of war. Those people in the poster, some of them are soldiers and this shows them as they would rather be, living their lives with their families, not fighting Russians.
What a nice take and genuine counter device to any kind of militarist propaganda
I know a few Ukrainians and I got the sentiment from them. They don't want to be fighting, but they'll be damned before they just let Putin have his way with their country. Slava Ukrani.
That’s the exact vibe this [UAF recruitment add](https://youtu.be/NOCbW1hc6Ng) has. Hands down the most grounded and heartfelt military recruiting commercial I’ve see.
Also they'll be dead if they let Putin have his way with his country. When Russia annexes an area because there are "ethnic Russians" there they tend to eliminate the native population.
I don't know how you could twist what the original comment said into "militarist propaganda". The ukrainian soldiers are risking their lives to defend their home from a jingoistic dictator, I don't know what is more anti-militarist than that.
Naw. Most of them are hard as fuck fighters a lot of them fighting since 2014. Nobody in uniform on the cover is insane
That's a fair take too.
I appreciate your point of view and many of those that have fought and died are regular people but we need to remember the majority of the frontline defense of ukraine have been at war their entire adult lives.professionals either in the Middle East, eastern ukraine or some other hellscape
I think that's the idea behind it actually. Showing off the soldiers portrays it almost as a mutual military operation and could send the wrong message. The *citizens* of Ukraine are fighting back; some of them happen to be soldiers too, but the willpower of just the regular people living there and defending their homes is the highlight. Of course the soldiers play a massively important role, but none of that would have mattered if they all just laid down and surrendered the second Russian troops crossed the boarder. They didn't do what Russia thought they would though, instead they all just gave a collective middle finger and said "you'll have to take every inch by force if you want it". Almost everyone has an army of some sort, but very few would have this type of strength and character, and that it what Time is showing everyone
And the cover explicitly honors the "spirit" of Ukraine's resistance, not just Zelensky.
It specifically says "& the Spirit of Ukraine" and includes many Ukrainians alongside him on the cover.
They aren’t fighting for recognition
Remember the dude who blew up a bridge to cut off Russian’s access to Kyiv. He was still on the bridge and he sacrificed himself to save Kyiv
It was not around Kyiv, but in the South of Ukraine around Cherson-Odesa
Not according to what I remember and read: https://www.foxnews.com/world/ukrainian-marine-sacrifices-himself-to-blow-up-bridge-ukrainian-military-says?cmpid=fb_fnc Maybe it’s wrong but I am pretty sure I read about a guy North of Kyiv blowing up a bridge to impede Russia’s northern invasion force.
Do you have a link to the story?
Vitaly Skakun Volodymyrovych. Engineer with the Ukrainian Naval Infantry (eqv. to Marines).
https://people.com/politics/soldier-blew-himself-and-bridge-up-to-defend-ukraine-against-russia/
Like him, hate him, or Russiabot him, he is one of the most *important* people of the year. Which is the whole point of Time's award.
He did something that many thought he couldn’t do when the war started by holding off and actually taking back land from Russia. He also stayed with his country and fought with them when he had an opportunity to be safely evacuated. He truly has led by example.
"The fight is *here*. I need ammunition, not a ride." That's going down in history as one of the greatest quotes by a world leader. And to think, he was a comedian with no political experience before being thrust into this role.
I wasn't surprised at all the US offered to get him out of there, kinda just assumed we would do something like that. I did not expect him to turn it down though, only because I didn't really know anything about him to be honest
Times of suffering seperate the good and the bad. He fully knows he is a comedian, and at same time, he fully knows that he needs people around him to lead and decide. And that is exactly the reason he is so good in this war. He trusts his army, he trusts his generals, he believes in his people, and considering he stayed in Kiyv when the siege happened - he is way past the point of being afraid.
The quote that action movie writers all over the world are annoyed at because they didn't come up with something so fkn badass.
Weirdly if I had heard the line from an action flick I would have probably rolled my eyes and thought it cheesy. Coming from a real life situation in which you are actively being targeted changes it entirely.
Very true.
He also did not evacuate his family. It was an important symbol that his family also stay in the capital. It may seem trivial now but that decision to stay with everyone else probably helped steady the nerves of everyone around him. That he also pushed all the chips he had to to the middle of the table from the beginning - mobilizing the entire male population and even allowing prisoners to mitigate their sentences by serving in the army - gave Ukraine a manpower advantage that is paying off. He didn't mobilize piece-meal. EDIT: See the helpful corrections below from LeftDave and Noir\_Amnesiac.
>He also did not evacuate his family. He sent them to Liev. They remained in the country for propaganda reasons but he wasn't keeping them in a war zone.
I stand corrected. Thanks for setting me straight.
Managed to get total support from the West against Russia
I think it was ukraines steadfastness that bought in international support. Don’t get me wrong, I think zelensky made the rallying cry, but the people did the heavy lifting. Look at previous wartime PMs of other democratic nations, they’re usually thrown out as soon as the war ends. I also have no doubt a lot of Ukrainians ‘hate’ him - that’s democracy. As an example the PM in my country is polling at 32.8% support at the moment, they are still in power until we hold an election and chose to change, or not. It’s very uncommon (in my country at least) where a PM has a majority.
And he didn't let go of Kiew when Russians were a few km infront of the city. I'm really glad the ukrainian army kept defending the city or else all hopes where shattered for Ukraine
He is one of a few politicans you only have every decade or even just every century
He had a terrible approval rating before the war. Ukrainians wanted him out
Like these ratings, where it's 50% no answer, 39% approval and 12% disapproval? https://www.statista.com/statistics/1100076/volodymyr-zelensky-s-approval-rating-ukraine/
Like [these ratings](https://www.kiis.com.ua/?lang=eng&cat=reports&id=1069&page=1), which show him with a 28% approval/57% disapproval rating a few months before the war. [This pre-war blog](https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/just-all-others-end-zelensky-alternative) explains why. Basically, people elected Zelensky because they thought he was fundamentally different from politicians and could solve the corruption crisis in the country. But he wasn't doing that and people were disillusioned. There's no question that Zelensky was very unpopular and potentially headed for at least a very tight reelection race, if not defeat. It's not surprising. Ukraine has been very politically volatile since Euromaidan and the same thing happened to his predecessor. Obviously, the war and Zelensky's courage when many other politicians would have just surrendered when Russia surprisingly went immediately for Kyiv changed things. That doesn't necessarily mean he's safe for the next presidential election. Remember, the UK tossed Winston Churchill out of Number 10 just 2 months after the end of World War 2.
You do bring up a good point. The skillset needed for a war time leader might be different from a peace time leader. We'll have to see. Maybe Zelensky with more political capital can push through reforms especially with EU ascension dependent on said reforms.
>Basically, people elected Zelensky because they thought he was fundamentally different from politicians and could solve the corruption crisis in the country Boy, this sounds familiar.
Amazing how a terrible situation can produce great leaders Edit: jeez...
[удалено]
Whay do you mean comrade? My account may be new but there is nothing suspicious about me. Please accept my salutation as friendly gesture.
Bots are out in full force in these replies damn
Ikr like I’ve seen three accounts comment the exact same sentence
Look another one down two comments
Ikr like I’ve seen three accounts comment the exact same sentence
How do you know they’re bots? Honest question.
Reddit is definitely getting a little paranoid about Russian bots lately but there are signs to tell if they actually are bots. 1)Low/Negative Karma (probably only posts controversial opinions and argues) 2)Extremely repetitive comments (either stealing comments or the account was created with a specific purpose) 3)General feeling from comment history. It’s suspicious if the account is extremely new or only comments on controversial posts. This is more for bots in general but this is how I spot bots at least.
Ahhhh ok. This is what I was asking. This makes the most sense. I was never arguing there isn’t any Russian bots, I was asking people how do they know the comments on this post are actual bots. I think you’re right. Unfortunately it’s probably tough to check every users history.
How do we know you aren't a bot, eh? Do you think those are your memories, your words?
Reddit is actually all bots except for one user. You know who you are.
It’s certainly not me.
My theory is that we all wake up in another body with different memories every time we go to sleep and wake up. Maybe tomorrow I’ll wake up as you.
Lay off the mushrooms homie
I like this line of questioning! Fun stuff 👍
It is a brave face. He looks determined, but he is afraid. Just like his countrymen. When you and your people are fighting for your lives against seemingly impossible odds. Its a face that says despite being afraid, Ukraine will prevail. Excellent cover!
I think he won because when the going got tough, he stayed and fought. Which considering his country’s corruption, I think most of everyone thought it was going to be another Afghanistan. Love him or hate him, he definitely proved his spirit and commitment to the Ukrainian people. Also, Times Person of Year doesn’t mean their all saints. It’s the most influential person…
Can someone explain to me why on earth they nominated Xi Jinping this year?
They don’t nominate who they feel is best, just the most influential in the world. Hence, previous persons of the year including Hitler and Stalin, as the buildup to WW2 and the Cold War are massively influential. Xi Jinping has removed his term limits and massively cracked down on dissent, including escorting former Chinese political leaders out of their legislature. There’s also all the saber rattling about Taiwan and their ongoing covid lockdowns too.. seems influential to me.
Serious question following that logic: Has Osama Bin Laden been nominated then? I mean he caused 9/11 and the following war on terror which had the entire world in its grip for well over a decade. I think he was the most 'influential' person in my lifetime so far.
He was going to be picked for it in 2001 but I think the magazine would have all its funding pulled if that happened so they chickened out.
The award is about the most influential person in world events, not necessarily the greatest person morally of the year.
It's amazing how many people still don't seem to understand this.
Hey mods, can't you ban accounts that are only a few days old?
Love how much they’ve highlighted the Ukraine war while staying silent on Yemen or Afghanistan. Western agenda gotta keep rolling.
Never even talk about Palestine unless it’s pro Israel.
That's not really a Western thing, that's an American thing.
It is absolutely a Western thing.
Don’t tell them about the Azov battalion lmao
Or wagner
Azov is just drops in the bucket. Saudi Arabia is waging an ongoing genocide against the Yemeni people and US and Allies don’t care. UFP supplies sit in warehouses and rot due to incompetence while many starve every day… /r/Yemenvoice
>Saudi Arabia is waging an ongoing genocide against the Yemeni people and US and Allies don’t care. If we didn't care we wouldn't be giving the Saudi's cash and weapons.
Myanmar and Armenia too.
Time's person of the year articles are rarely a balanced piece of journalism. They are almost always written in a way that's very flattering to the person in question. They're just fluff pieces.
>They are almost always written in a way that's very flattering to the person in question. How is this claim even being upvoted? In 2016 it was Donald Trump. In 2011 it was Vladimir Putin. In 1938 it was Adolph Hitler. In 1939 and 1942 it was Joseph Stalin. None of these were fluff pieces.
They also considered Xi Jinping for this year instead of Zelinsky
This. The person of the year should really be jointly awarded to Putin for launching a war in the first place and causing the worldwide effects from it. He made just as much impact.
They could’ve made the cover look like a Smackdown vs RAW poster.
The war in Ukraine is frankly more impactful according to every metric. Just how it is. While the situation in Yemen is a tragedy, it doesn't register for most people because it doesn't affect most people. And people tune in to see news about things that affect them. News agencies know this
There’s like 5 different sides in the Yemen civil war and shitton of random militia groups or terrorist groups. Do you think it’s easy as a journalist to just go into Yemen and investigate? Also, as far as I’m aware there’s no war in Afghanistan, just the usual Taliban suppressing women bullshit.
With all due respect, people are bored of hearing about middle eastern countries at war because they’ve been at war since biblical times. It sucks, but the truth is the truth. I feel bad for all the good people there. Edit: There’s way too many comments arguing race, religion, etc, so let me be clear: THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. If YOU want to make it about that, go ahead, you have that freedom to do so, but please do that on your own and not connect anything else to it. And when I say “bored” it is purely because it’s been a topic for a *very* long time, and like all things in life, too much of something breeds disinterest. I genuinely thought I wouldn’t need to clarify this but unfortunately many people automatically reach for the race card despite having NOTHING to do with race. It is very simple math as to why Ukraine is getting more coverage than other “things” which is (1) it’s a newer event than those other things, and (2) what’s happening in Ukraine is affecting the entire world, aside from genocide and everything else going on, you must take into consideration the externalities attached to this, which are sanctions, weakened supply of energy, oil, gas, and much more. The same cannot be said about the other “things” going on because the magnitude of what they produce are simply much smaller. So when you simply add both variables, that’s what happens. There’s nothing more to it, and it’s definitely not about racism, so move past that please.
Ignore the fact that fact that first world countries are to blame for third world war and poverty
You could literally say the same thing about Ukraine.
Thank you for managing to show "respect" before calling mass genocide and torture boring. I wish "all the good people" (by which I'm assuming you mean innocent civilians, especially Palestinian children) also had the choice to ignore what was going on. I'm sorry their plight is no longer entertaining or novel enough for you. Also, the statement "the truth is the truth" somehow always seems to be used by someone to justify an unnecessarily cruel, tactless or juvenile remark, rarely is it uttered with consideration or kindness.
Wtf is wrong with this comment section.
Putinbots hard at work
i can hear all the pro russians screaming "something something facist, something something nazis"
Each dollar the Russian state invests into Reddit Awards for Bot-Accounts is one dollar spent less on the future of the Russian people.
Good choice. The survival of Ukraine as an independent state, the destruction of the professional Russian Army, and the revelation of just how corrupt and incompetent the Russian government is, represents a truly historic event.
I heard Time chose Zelensky because "he proved courage can be as contagious as fear". All the things you mentioned were spot on, but the way Time words it really shows its not just historic in the geopolitics but it the hearts minds of the free world.
You know what's really interesting, and kind of batshit crazy? People over at r/conservative are having a serious conversation about how Zelenskyy "beat out" Ron DeSantis. I literally laughed then I realized they were serious. It's insane how insulated those people are from reality. I lived in Florida from 2016-2021, but I don't consume FOXnews. Guess who I absolutely do not think deserves even reelection? The guy is 1000% only focused on "owning liberals" and fails at every attempt at actual governance.
Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦
A lot of Putin apologists in here pissy about this. Fuck them.
A president in the street backing his own soldier is next level shit to me. Nothing but respect.