The Economist picks Ukraine as country of the year for 2022

“This year, for the first time since we started naming countries of the year in 2013, the choice is obvious. It can only be Ukraine,” the report states.

By standing up to Russia’s despot, Ukrainians have protected their neighbors. Had he conquered Ukraine, he might have attacked Moldova or Georgia next, or menaced the Baltic states, The Economist noted.

“Ukrainians have shown that lies can be exposed and terror can be resisted. Their struggle is far from over. But their example in 2022 was second to none,” The Economist emphasized.

The publication noted the heroism of Ukrainians. Putin clearly expected the Ukrainian army to fold.

“The Ukrainians stood and fought. President Volodymyr Zelensky, spurning Western offers to spirit him out of Kyiv, supposedly snapped that he needed “ammunition, not a ride”. Ordinary Ukrainians showed similar mettle,” the report states.

Additionally, Ukrainians demonstrated ingenuity. According to The Economist, they spotted their enemies’ weaknesses, blew up their fuel and ammunition supplies, and quickly learned how to use new Western-supplied weapons.

Moreover, Ukrainians demonstrated resilience, and the horrors Putin keeps inflicting on them do not seem to have dented their morale.

Finally, with a few exceptions, Ukrainians have not answered war crimes with war crimes. Russian forces have routinely bombed civilians, tortured captives and plundered villages. By contrast, Russian prisoners-of-war are startled at how well they are treated.

“This is largely because Ukraine is not, as Mr Putin claims, a Nazi state, but a democracy where human lives matter. It has its flaws, notably corruption, but its government and people had rejected Putinism even before the war, and now they reject it more strenuously,” The Economist stressed.

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