The third prize was awarded in 2022 to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his actions during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

PanEuropa Bulgaria was able to personally present the award to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his official visit to Bulgaria on 6 July 2023, at the National History Museum during his meeting with politicians, public figures and journalists.

Volodymyr Oleksandrovich Zelensky was born on 25 January 1978 in Kriviy Rih, then in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Zelensky’s inauguration on May 20, 2019, was attended by various foreign dignitaries, including leaders from Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, the European Union and the United States. During his inauguration speech, Zelensky dissolved the Ukrainian parliament and called for early parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for October of that year. The move led to the withdrawal of one of his coalition partners, the Popular Front.

In April 2021, in response to the Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s borders, Zelensky spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden and urged NATO members to expedite Ukraine’s membership application. Since then, Zelensky has engaged in numerous cooperative talks to rally support from NATO and EU countries.