Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy gets John F Kennedy award for defending democracy

Award was created by the family of the late president to honour public figures who risk their careers by embracing unpopular positions for the greater good

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Picture: Efrem Lukatsky/AP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is among five people named as recipients of the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for acting to protect democracy.

Mr Zelenskyy was chosen because of the way he has “marshalled the spirit, patriotism and untiring sacrifice of the Ukrainian people in a life-or-death fight for their country”, as Russia pours in troops and assaults cities and towns, the John F Kennedy Library Foundation said.