MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to TIME, Putin plays "a critical but precarious role" in the war on the Islamic State jihadist group (IS, or Daesh in the Arab world) in Syria, an organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries.
Among the final eight contenders are German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, as well as Abu Bakr Baghdadi, the Daesh leader.
The shortlist also includes 2016 Presidential Candidate Donald Trump and Black Lives Matter activists who protested against brutal treatment of African Americans by US law enforcement.
The Russian leader was previously awarded the Person of the Year title from the magazine in 2007.
