Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is being honored with the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award

 The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute has announced that it is bestowing the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Zelenskyy has valiantly rallied Ukrainians to bravely stand in defense of their sovereign nation amid a Russian invasion — the Russian onslaught has wreaked death and destruction, leaving many Ukrainians dead, including civilians.

The foundation said Zelenskyy is the eleventh recipient of the honor, which it described as its "highest recognition."

Zelenskyy is being recognized "for his courageous fight against tyranny and for his indomitable stance for freedom and democracy," according to the foundation.

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"Appropriately, our 40th President was privileged to bestow the first Ronald Reagan Freedom Award upon Mikhail Gorbachev at the Reagan Library on May 4, 1992. Other Reagan Freedom Award winners since then include General Colin Powell, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, His Majesty King Hussein I, Lady Margaret Thatcher, President George H.W. Bush, Natan Sharansky and President Lech Walesa," a press release noted.

Zelenskyy has been calling for the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

"We repeat everyday: 'Close the sky over Ukraine!' Close it for all Russian missiles, Russian combat aircraft, for all these terrorists. Make a humanitarian air zone," Zelenskyy said, according to subtitles on a video of Zelenskyy's remarks. 

"We are people and it is your humanitarian duty to protect us, protect people. And you can do it. If you do not do that, if you at least do not give us aircraft for us to be able to protect ourselves, there can be only one conclusion: You also want us to be slowly killed. This is also the responsibility of the world's politicians, Western Leaders. Today and forever."