The greatest athletes perform best under pressure. The same is true for politicians. In that sense, the campaigner of the year is Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine. I don’t mean to say this in a cynical way. In English, the word campaign is used both in a military context and with respect to politics.

Zelensky is authentic and fearless. To campaign means to set all levers in motion. When Russia invaded Ukraine, he did not just fight on the battlefield. Instead, he also took the battle to international organizations, addressed parliaments from numerous countries (remarkably tailor fitting his messaging) and, mobilized international public opinion. He speaks to the international media a lot and makes himself available to journalists. Through regular video messages, he takes his case directly to his own people, the Russian people, and the international community. He uses simple words to communicate complex matters. And he produces visuals. I know that some correspondents were badmouthing his visit to Washington D.C., but hey, just look at the pictures. They speak for themselves, and that’s the beauty of pictures.