Zelenskyy Is Time Person Of The Year, Beating Elon Musk, Xi Jinping, Janet Yellen For Proving 'Courage Can Be As Contagious'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been named Time’s ‘Person of the Year,' beating Elon Musk, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Janet Yellen among others. 

What Happened: Calling Zelenskyy’s decision to remain in Kyiv amid a barrage of missile attacks, Time's Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal said that this year's decision was "the most clear-cut in memory."

The president of the war-torn nation established himself as a symbol of defiance and democracy as he led the nation through Vladimir Putin's unprovoked war in Ukraine. Two days after Ukraine was attacked in February 2022, the Ukrainian embassy in the U.K. announced that Zelenskyy had turned down an offer by the U.S. to evacuate him.

"The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride," Zelenskyy was quoted saying.

Zelenskyy's action and courage caught world's eyes as it stood in contrast to former Afghani President Ashraf Ghani, who fled his country after the Taliban captured Kabul.

“For proving that courage can be as contagious as fear, for stirring people to come together in defense of freedom, for reminding the world of the fragility of democracy — and of peace — Zelenskyy & the spirit of Ukraine are TIME's 2022 Person of the Year,” Felsenthal tweeted. 

See Also: Putin Denies Having ‘Gone Mad’ Over Ukraine War: ‘We Realize What Nuclear Weapons Are’

 "Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Volodymyr Zelenskyy galvanized the world in a way we haven't seen in decades," Felsenthal added.

On Monday, Time revealed ​​the shortlist for its 2022 Person of the Year, which included Xi, Musk, and the first female U.S. Treasury secretary Yellen, among others. 
The publication has been awarding the honorary title since 1927, and last year gave the distinction to Musk.

Check out more of Benzinga’s Europe and Asia coverage by following this link.