Volodymyr Zelensky is Time magazine's 2022 "Person of the Year"

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was named Time magazine's Person of the Year on Wednesday in recognition of his leadership during his country's war with Russia. The magazine also recognized "the spirit of Ukraine", highlighting the country's resilience in a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin.

This closely guarded honor marks the latest step in a remarkable rise that has seen Mr. Zelensky catapulted from a career as a television comedian, first to the presidency in 2019 and then, this year, to global leader status.

TIME 2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine #TIMEPOY https://t.co/06Y5fuc0fG pic.twitter.com /i8ZT3d5GDa

— TIME (@TIME) December 7, 2022

The Ukrainian leader, who has come to personify the nation's resilience since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February, called the war a people's struggle peace-loving seeking freedom from tyranny.

Two decisions made in February came to define his style. When the war began, Western powers and military experts assumed that Russian forces would quickly invade Kyiv, the capital, and expected the government to retreat to safer ground. Instead, Mr. Zelensky remained in the city as a symbol of defiance and continuity of civil authority. Eventually, Ukrainian forces repelled the Russian attack.

The second decision was to launch nightly speeches broadcast on social media. In one, shortly before the start of the invasion, Mr. Zelensky said: "Listen to the voice of reason", adding: "The Ukrainian people want peace".

In a second, delivered the night Russian forces crossed the border and began shelling Kyiv, he expressed a new national mission. "Putin has started a war against Ukraine and against the whole democratic world," he said. "He wants to destroy our country and everything we have built, but we know the strength of the Ukrainian people."

Since then Mr. Zelensky has used his office in Kyiv to deliver a series of speeches to the US Congress, UK Parliament, European Union and many other groups, pleading for military support, thanking nations for standing with Ukraine and showcasing his country's struggle like a struggle between freedom and despotism.

Even his look - combat boots, khaki pants, green t-shirt and trimmed beard - became a trademark, reinforcing his image as a citizen soldier. In mid-November, he made a triumphant visit to the southern city of Kherson shortly after Ukrainian forces recaptured it.