Zelenskyy entered the ranking of the most influential people in Europe: what places did Trump and Putin get?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been included in Politico's ranking of the most influential people in Europe. The Ukrainian leader ranks 14th in the TOP 28. The ranking is topped by US President Donald Trump, UNN reports.

Zelenskyy in the TOP 15

The profile of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentions a stunning Oval Office quarrel and Trump's words about "no trump cards."

Trump's return to the White House overturned the diplomatic order on which Zelenskyy built his survival strategy.

Politico also notes the improvement of relations between Zelenskyy and Trump.

Few believed in the possibility of restoring relations, but, to the credit of the Ukrainian leader, it succeeded. The help and intervention of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte helped, but it was Zelenskyy who learned the lessons and adapted. Slowly, incredibly, he and Trump became more cohesive. When Trump later greeted Vladimir Putin on the tarmac of a Cold War-era airbase in Alaska, Zelenskyy did not react too violently. He remained open to negotiations. And when another US-led initiative in the fall led to the development of a plan, which in its original 28-point version, which became public, was largely favorable to Moscow, he kept his cool and promised to continue "constructive work" on amending the plan and achieving it - the profile says.

The publication also did not ignore the corruption scandal and the resignation of Andriy Yermak, as well as the summer events around NABU and SAP.

The internal scandal seriously undermined Zelenskyy's position, and now he has to deal with it while trying to conclude a peace agreement that will not send it directly into Putin's hands. The Ukrainian president is used to playing defense. To survive the next chapter, he will need all his adaptive skills - the publication summarizes.

Who else is in the ranking?

The ranking is topped, as reported above, by US leader Donald Trump.

The publication notes that this person is sometimes a partner of Europe, and sometimes a threat, but - "this year no one had more influence in or on Europe than the US president."

The attempt to describe Europe's relationship with Donald Trump has turned into a full-fledged diplomatic exercise. Is he a partner? Sometimes. A threat? Sometimes. A force that changes relationships on its own terms? Always. It is clear that Europe is dealing with an unpredictable, authoritarian partner whose impulses can turn the continent upside down overnight. As we compiled POLITICO's annual ranking of the 28 most influential people in European politics and policy, one reality became inevitable: this year, no one had more influence in or on Europe than the US president. This conclusion forced us to break one of our own rules. POLITICO 28 traditionally includes only Europeans — people who live or work on the continent. But if there was ever a moment for an exception, it is now. Trump's shadow is so large over European capitals that his decisions — or outbursts of anger — have changed everything from defense budgets to trade policy and domestic politics - Politico notes.

In addition to Trump, the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin also found a place in the ranking of the most influential people in Europe. The Kremlin master took 5th place.

The publication notes that Putin "shapes Europe from its periphery, one act of aggression at a time."

Almost four years after launching his full-scale attack on Ukraine, the 73-year-old Russian president has expanded the battlefield, testing NATO's defenses with hybrid attacks, drone incursions, and old-fashioned fighter jets. As US President Donald Trump seeks to extricate himself from the conflict, Putin has pushed deep into Western Europe, testing the nerves of governments and voters unaccustomed to military threats - the dictator's profile says.

Politico notes that Putin has been a major disruptor of events in Europe for over a decade.

Concerns about Russian aggression have prompted Europe to rearm, with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz breaking long-standing taboos on military spending. Even the continent's military giants, such as France and the United Kingdom, are struggling to rethink billions of euros in industrial and military investments, realizing that fighter jets and nuclear arsenals are ill-suited to counter Moscow's low-grade asymmetric attacks and acts of hybrid warfare. The question for NATO and the European Union is: will Putin's pressure ultimately make these alliances stronger? Will the Russian president succeed in destroying the foundations on which they were built? In any case, Putin has already achieved part of his goal: to throw Europe off balance and make it clear that he is the only person no one on the continent can ignore.

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