Readers of Politico have called the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy the most influential man in Europe
This can be seen from the results of online voting on the publisher's website.
This list is usually published at the end of the year, the last time in December 2021. It was then headed by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. However, against the background of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the profound geopolitical and economic changes that followed, readers were invited to vote again.
One of the participants of the poll, launched in early March, called Zelenskyy a "beacon of hope" seeking "peace, democracy and decency" while Ukraine tries to counter Russia's invasion.
The editor noted that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, Zelenskyy had regularly published video appeals to citizens on social networks. He also delivered powerful speeches in the US Congress, the British Parliament, and the German Bundestag, repeatedly emphasizing that Ukraine needs more support from the West in its fight against Russia.
According to Politico, the Ukrainian president's address helped to change the nature of the debate in Europe. For example, Germany suspended the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline shortly before the invasion, violated the taboo on sending weapons to conflict zones, and promised to increase defense spending.
Countries that have recently criticized Europe's migration policies, such as Poland and Hungary, have opened their borders to Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war.
8 March, Czech President Milos Zeman awarded Zelensky the country's highest state award, the Order of the White Lion.
The President of Ukraine has also been awarded the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award. The medal was presented to the Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova by the head of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Fund Frederic Ryan.