Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been awarded a prestigious UK prize for his leadership and contribution to international relations, the Chatham House think-tank said on Thursday.The London-based research body said it had awarded Zelensky the 2023 Chatham House Prize, hailing his transformation from actor-turned novice politician to wartime leader as “nothing short of extraordinary”.
“The former actor has unified his nation in defiance of a formidable foe,” the think-tank said in a statement.
“He has also created a new form of modern diplomacy and leadership through his use of social media and direct communication with world leaders, marshalling a wide-ranging coalition in support of Ukraine at the United Nations and beyond.”
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“The people of Ukraine have faced a relentless onslaught in this brutal invasion,” added Chatham House director Bronwen Maddox.
“President Zelensky has united his nation in resistance and counter-offensive, and demonstrated a mastery of international diplomacy,” she said.
Zelensky is expected to make a short live virtual address to the think-tank’s annual conference on Thursday with a special representative collecting the award on his behalf.
One of his predecessors, Viktor Yuschenko, was a recipient of the Chatham House Prize in 2005, in recognition of his role in the country’s “Orange Revolution” after rigged presidential elections.
Accepting the award, he said, “We’re convinced that the key area in foreign policy should be the European aspirations by Ukraine, mainly in the integration into the European Union and NATO.”
Yushchenko won a protracted and bitterly fought presidential election against a pro-Moscow opponent backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, after protests over voting fraud forced a new ballot to be held.
(AFP)
