© Sputnik. Sergey GuneevRussian President Vladimir Putin before delivering State of the Nation address, 2014.
"Vladimir Putin tops the chart of most important and influential people of 2014," Agence France Presse said in its comment.
The list of influential people according to the French news agency also includes Pope Francis and a young Pakistani human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yusufzai; the leader of the protesters in Hong Kong Joshua Wong; schoolgirls from Nigerian district CIBC kidnapped as a result of the attacks attributed to members of the radical Islamist group Boko Haram; parents of executed American journalist James Foley - Diane and John.
Agence France Press is publishing its list of influential people of 2014 for the second consecutive year. The leader of 2013 ratings was a former U.S. intelligence employee Edward Snowden who found shelter in Russia; Iranian Leader Hassan Rouhani and Pakistani human rights activist Malala Yusufzai who remained on the list in 2014.
Comment: Good choice, AFP!
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The opinion-makers see it (Forbes, AFP), and the people see it. Unfortunately, leaders and the West see it, too, which is why they're trying their best to destroy Putin, his accomplishments and plans for the future of Russia, and his vision of a world not ruled by a pathological elite in the West.