Volodymyr Zelensky (Ukraine)

As Ukraine entered the fourth year of defending against Russia's full-scale invasion, President Volodymyr Zelensky continued his relentless diplomatic campaign to sustain Western military and financial support — a diplomatic endurance that rivals #3 Putin's domestic grip. He navigated difficult negotiations with European partners and a more transactional Trump administration that conditioned future aid, securing $24 billion in new commitments. Zelensky's wartime leadership remained one of the defining political stories of the era, with 65% of Ukrainians approving his performance in 2025.