FT names Russian propagandist Simonyan one of 2025’s most influential people — no Ukrainians included

The profile, written by American journalist of Russian origin Julia Ioffe, places Simonyan in the “Leaders” category of FT’s annual ranking.

The British outlet described Simonyan as “Putin’s most devoted envoy” and a “Valkyrie of propaganda,” calling her “a performatively religious woman whose talents and ideas are changing the world.”

Ioffe also wrote that Simonyan believes the West “envies Russia,” especially the United Kingdom.

Other figures named to FT’s 2025 list include New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles under President Donald Trump, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, and UK right-wing populist leader Nigel Farage.

In 2024, the Financial Times released a list of the 25 most influential women, which included Yulia Navalnaya, widow of murdered Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. No Ukrainian women were included that year either.

Simonyan, a key mouthpiece for Kremlin narratives, revealed on Sept. 22 that she is undergoing cancer treatment.

She is currently under sanctions from Ukraine, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and other countries.

In April 2024, Ukraine’s SBU Security Service formally charged Simonyan based on evidence that she publicly called for the mass killing of Ukrainian children.

“Among the newly documented crimes are public calls made by Simonyan in December 2023 for the mass murder of Ukrainian children,” the SBU said.

She has also repeatedly advocated for continued missile and bomb strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, according to the agency.

Back in March 2023, Simonyan was already charged in Ukraine for encroaching on the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.