Politico names Ukrainian president Zelenskyy "Dreamer of the Year"

POLITICO on November 28 named President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "Dreamer of the Year," recognizing him among historical figures including Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Winston Churchill.

“From his defiant 'We are here' video filmed in the first days of the war outside his presidential office on Bankova Street and his iconic 'I need ammunition, not a ride' quip delivered in response to a U.S. offer to evacuate, to the tailor-made screeds he has given in parliaments around Europe and the world, Zelenskyy inspired Ukrainians to continue resisting Russia’s attempted full-scale invasion, and cajoled, shamed and begged nations into helping them do so,” The Kyiv Independent reports.

In December 2022, Zelenskyy directly addressed the U.S. Congress in Washington D.C., invoking the spirit of previous global wartime leaders.

The Ukrainian leader rose to power via a landslide election win in 2019, defeating incumbent chocolate oligarch Petro Poroshenko, and capitalizing on widespread public anger at corruption.