| Rank | Leader | Country | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi Jiangping | China | 1 |
| 2 | Vladimir Putin | Russia | 2 |
| 3 | Emmanuel Macron | France | Not Ranked |
| 4 | Ali Khamenei | Iran | 4 |
| 5 | Abiy Ahmed | Ethiopia | 7 |
| 6 | Kim Jong-un | North Korea | 3 |
| 7 | Moon Jae-in | South Korea | 5 |
| 8 | Recep Erdogan | Turkey | Not Ranked |
| 9 | Sauli Niinisto | Finland | Not Ranked |
| 10 | Donald Trump | United States | 8 |
1. Xi's China continues to fill the void left by an American foreign policy in shambles while consolidating his power.
2. Putin is the strongman of Russia. Former high up American officials believe the President of the United States has been acting like a controlled asset of Russia.
3. During the commemoration of the end of World War I, Macron laid out his vision of the world. It was a powerful vision that rejected the nationalism of the strongman and the President of the United States. He called for increased military ties for Europe.
4. Iran isn't exactly a rich and powerful nation, but you wouldn't know that based on the actions of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Israel.
5. Ahmed has been lauded for being a reformer in repressive Ethiopia. Half of his cabinet are women.
6. Kim has received glowing praise from the President of the United States, despite the horrors he has inflicted on his people and the threats he casts on the world. But a defector recently announced that much of the younger generation don't feel loyalty to him, which knocks him down a few spots.
7. Moon's efforts at trying to create peace worth North Korea are laudable. He had a meeting in with Kim in September. Optimism still persists.
8. Turkey's strongman cracks the top ten for being an unwavering voice for justice in the Jamal Khashoggi case, the case that has significantly dimmed the star of Saudi Arabia's crown prince MbS. This despite the erosion of democracy Erdogan has instigated and the collapse of the economy.
9. Niinisto surfaces again int he top 10 because he made worldwide news by saying Finland doesn't prevent forest fires with rakes. It's always a good week when he can look intelligent by asserting rake don't prevent forest fires. Smokey the Rake says, "only you can prevent forest fires.
10. Donald Trump;s presidency of the most powerful nation in the world is an unmitigated disaster. In September, his competency to lead was seriously questioned by a member of the administration and the most respected journalist in the country. He has waffled on the Khashoggi case, bowing down to MbS one minute and using harsh words the next, and then saying MbS probably didn't now what happened after the CIA announced that he ordered the killing. But Trump is still POTUS, so I guess he should be in the top ten.
