“Aides who once saw him as a lightweight now praise his toughness. Slights that might once have upset him now elicit no more than a shrug. Some of his allies miss the old Zelensky, the practical joker with the boyish smile. But they realize he needs to be different now, much harder and deaf to distractions, or else his country might not survive.” Volodymyr Zelensky is Time’s Person of the Year. He’s a constant example of leadership and a reminder that democracy is something worth fighting for.

+ Meanwhile, he’s back to work. “Ukraine’s drone strikes on two air bases deep inside Russia mark a new chapter in this war, but their significance—whether they escalate the conflict or alter the war’s course in some other way—is unclear.” What Ukraine’s Drone Strike Deep in Russian Territory Means.