Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the time has come to speak openly about the war. He links its beginning to the occupation of Crimea in 2014. According to him, Vladimir Putin assured European leaders that there would be no invasion, although he knew it was being prepared. Zelensky calls the discovery of the bodies of the dead in Bucha the hardest day of his presidency.

The Beginning of the War and Its Consequences in Ukraine

The war began on February 24, 2022. Zelensky stated that he had not expected a full-scale invasion. On the day the war began, he was with his family. He told his wife and children that the war had begun, said that he loved them, and promised to call.

Satellite images recorded a column 64 km long moving toward Kyiv. According to Zelensky, around 200,000 people were heading for the city. He claimed that such a force could not be held back. Missiles fell on the city continuously. Zelensky described these moments as absolutely terrifying. He was in a bunker set up directly in his office.

U.S. President Joe Biden called Zelensky and offered to help with evacuation. Zelensky replied that he needed ammunition, not transport. According to him, the enemy expected people to run, but he could not abandon his people.

Volunteers began enlisting in the army. According to Zelensky, the strength of the Ukrainian armed forces grew from 200,000 to 800,000 people. Every day, the Ukrainian army increased pressure on the enemy.

Bucha and the Assessment of the Grave Events

Zelensky named the day of the liberation of Bucha, where he personally traveled, as the hardest day of his presidency. He reported that bodies of the dead lay everywhere: children, adults, and elderly people. According to him, people were killed with particular cruelty. The victims had their hands tied, were tortured, and were then buried in pits.

Zelensky compared these events to the discovery of a mass grave in the U.S. or Britain, where 500 tortured people were found. He asked how such a thing could be forgiven. Responding to President Trump's proposal to find a compromise, he stated that one cannot simply forgive everything.

The President's Condition and the Question of Hope

Asked whether the path to the end of the war is realistic, Zelensky gave no direct answer. When asked about his own condition, he said it was hard. According to him, he experiences the war together with the country and its people. He links the question of whether tomorrow will come with his own belonging to the country: his family, relatives, and the state form an inseparable part of him.

Zelensky said he combines an understanding of the difficult reality with optimism. According to him, good prevails, and he believes in this.

He acknowledged that hope takes different forms. According to him, during war people can be broken by inner shock, especially when a loved one dies: a child, a spouse, or a mother. In his view, such losses are endured far more painfully than his own difficulties.

Deaths of Children and Destroyed Homes

Strike on a Children's Playground

A missile hit a children's playground. It was so fast that the siren did not help: only seconds passed between the warning and the impact. As a result, children were killed, including two children on the playground. Adults were also killed. Among them were two passersby who were walking by.

Residential buildings stand next to the playground. Some parents watched what was happening through their windows. According to Zelensky, after such a tragedy it is customary to bring flowers to the adults and toys to the children.

He was on site and said that his pain cannot be compared with the pain of the parents. By his estimate, his own pain amounts to no more than 10% of the pain of the parents of the victims. He called what happened appalling.

Children Under Constant Threat

The missile cut short the life of a child who had not yet seen anything. Many of the dead were children who had never lived in peacetime. Zelensky noted that his generation remembers life without sirens and shelling. For today's children, the alarm sounds every night. They go down into shelters and then come back up. Some of them do not come back alive.

Zelensky stressed that many children have never known peace.

Insomnia and Daily Work with Air Defense Forces

Zelensky stated that he does not sleep. He communicates daily with the operators and commanders of Ukraine's air defense system. Contact is maintained through text messages. Current needs and the redistribution of resources from other regions are discussed. According to him, this mode of work does not allow him to sleep.

In almost five years of war, eight hours of sleep have become something new for him. He emphasized that he is not complaining.

Awarding the Parents of the Fallen

According to Zelensky, the hardest part is presenting the awards. The title of Hero of Ukraine is considered the highest honor. He presents it to the parents of fallen servicemen, boys and girls. In such moments, by his account, he ceases to exist. He clarified that this is not pain but something terrible. He then began to describe what he sees when he looks at these people, but the thought remained unfinished.

Personal Choice and Responsibility of a Leader

Parents of Fallen Soldiers

Zelensky spoke about meetings with the families of fallen soldiers. According to him, many parents say little and look at their interlocutor tensely. Some of them ask only for a hug. He recalled a father to whom he had presented an award: a sturdy, strong man quietly asked whether he could hug him.

Zelensky noted that such people temporarily cease to be who they were, although strong people try to hold on. He acknowledges that he respects such moments, but they are hard to endure. In his words, he understands these parents. It is an immense and frightening pain, which he would not wish on anyone.

He emphasized that the parents had not lost a child on a playground. They had lost a soldier. They knew such a thing was possible, but knowing and losing, in his words, are completely different things.

When asked about the tears in his eyes, Zelensky replied that he is a human being and is not ashamed of it. He does not call himself the strongest person in the world. He strives to set an example, but, in his own assessment, he is far from perfect.

Relying on Family

Asked what helps him maintain his strength, Zelensky named his children. He believes he is obliged to set an example for them. He says that a person needs to be strong and brave, but should not hide pain. In his words, human nature makes people vulnerable, and their strength lies within that vulnerability as well. The children, he said, help him stay grounded. He wants them to be proud of him.

Childhood in a Scientist's Family

Zelensky was born in Kryvyi Rih. He belongs to a generation that has lived through two eras: he was born in the Soviet Union, when Ukraine was part of it, and grew up in independent Ukraine.

He says that his children are luckier, since they were born in an independent country without "shades of gray." In his words, they are patriots who love their country, Ukraine.

The family was academic but, according to Zelensky, not materially prosperous. Scientists in Soviet Ukraine, as a rule, earned little. He singles out his father, an honest man and professor. In his words, the education, upbringing, and love his parents gave him are what he is grateful for.

His mother, he said, was very beautiful and remains so.

Early Plans and the Move to Media

As a child, Zelensky changed his aspirations. For a time he wanted to become a diplomat, then a border guard. He graduated from the law faculty, but during his studies he realized that media interested him more. After graduating, he began working precisely in that field.

At the age of 17, he said, he became interested in comedy.

Zelensky's Comedy Career and the Series "Servant of the People"

Comedy Career and Transition to Media Business

Zelensky worked in comedy until the age of 26. He worked as a screenwriter and from time to time appeared in small roles. At 26 he founded his own company. In his words, working as a screenwriter gave him pleasure.

Dancing and Voicing Paddington

At 28, Zelensky won the Ukrainian version of the show "Dancing with the Stars." When the host asked whether he could dance, Zelensky replied that, in his opinion, he could. He added that he was not sure whether he could dance back then, but he can now.

Later he voiced the bear Paddington in a Ukrainian film. He said he loves this character and considers him important for people. In his assessment, the film is intended not only for children, but the image deeply affected him.

After being elected president, Zelensky received offers to voice the next installment of the Paddington film. The offers came even before the war began. Zelensky replied that he would like to agree but did not do so.

The Role of a Teacher in "Servant of the People"

Between the ages of 34 and 37, Zelensky appeared in several feature films. His best-known role is that of a history teacher in the satirical series "Servant of the People." The character accidentally becomes the country's president.

Zelensky stated that he did not expect to become president. The idea for the series emerged about 10–12 years before his election. He thought about it for a long time and believed that Ukraine was changing. In his view, at that moment the idea became relevant and was supposed to resonate with viewers. The essence of the idea was that a person from the people, with no political experience and no connections to the authorities, becomes president. Zelensky noted that this is exactly how things turned out.

The host summed up that the character played a president, and Zelensky realized that the idea of a party or president "Servant of the People" could turn out to be successful, given the situation in the country and the state of the government.

Political Satire and Russia's Betrayal After the Occupation of Crimea

The series Servant of the People was a great success, but it was not part of a carefully planned strategy. Other projects were developed in parallel. Political satire was already widely popular before the series aired, so politics was already a familiar field. The decision to try working in this direction was made gradually.

The occupation of Crimea and Donbas became a key turning point. According to Zelensky, these events changed the country and its people, who began to feel that something was wrong in the country. A full-scale war had not yet begun, but a sense of unease had already emerged.

At that time, his team was running business in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Offices operated there, and projects were produced. Zelensky stated that he did not want to completely shut down this activity. He also described a feeling of betrayal on Russia's part. According to him, this entire period changed him as well.

He denies that the release of the series and the creation of the party were part of a calculated plan. He acknowledges that other people may come to that conclusion and considers this normal. The coincidence, in his words, is explained by a combination of factors: the public mood, his inner state, determination, and the desire to act.

Historical Connection and Ukraine's Independence in 1991

The Beginning of the War

Zelensky links the start of the war to the occupation of Crimea in 2014. In his words, Ukraine, which gained independence in 1991, could not believe what was happening. He believes the war began precisely with the seizure of the peninsula.

The occupation developed slowly and on the surface did not look like a war. Armed men appeared on the peninsula, but Russia for a long time refused to acknowledge them as its servicemen. They were called "polite people" and "little green men," since their uniforms made it impossible to determine their affiliation. Zelensky calls this process creeping occupation.

He claims that Ukraine's main mistake was the absence of an order to defend the territory. Ukrainian authorities did not call for resistance to those who, armed, violated the border and gradually seized Crimea. In his view, if such an order had been given, the full-scale war in its current form would probably not have broken out. Today, assessing events, he believes the war began precisely then, and not in 2015 or in 2022.

Family History and World War II

Zelensky's paternal grandfather fought in World War II from beginning to end. There were several brothers in his family, and all of them were killed by the Nazis. On both sides of his family, Zelensky has few surviving relatives, since many of them were murdered by the fascists.

Accusations of Nazism

Zelensky calls Russia's claims that there are Nazis in Ukraine absurd. In his words, the Ukrainian people deeply understand what it means to live under a fascist regime, because during World War II Ukraine was occupied entirely.

He also claims that Ukraine, Belarus, and other lands fought against Nazi Germany. Germany lost a huge number of soldiers precisely on the territory of Belarus and Ukraine. Russia, in his words, was not occupied. Therefore, Zelensky considers Putin's statements about the "denazification" of Ukraine absurd and outrageous. Ukrainians, in his words, fought the fascists and liberated their land.

Historical Background for a Young Audience

When asked how to explain the background of the conflict to a sixteen-year-old teenager, Zelensky began his answer by asserting that there was an empire.

Crimea, the Collapse of the USSR, and Russia's Historical Claims

The Soviet Union included a large number of states that are independent today. According to the speaker, all empires are structured this way: they exist for some time and then fall apart. In his view, a detailed analysis of the historical context is not required to understand this pattern.

According to his claim, an empire can hold a vast territory and many people together only through autocracy, tyranny, feudalism, and slavery. Freedom is not needed for this. He directly states that empires do not rest on freedom.

He sees the cause of empires' collapse in people's desire for freedom. People compare their lives in an empire with life in other countries, including small ones. They see how societies develop there, how people live and move freely, and how they choose partners, hair color, music, and clothing. In his words, such a comparison pushes people to leave the empire.

Identity and Imperial Rhetoric of the Kremlin

Information Isolation in the Empire

Zelensky describes the Soviet "Iron Curtain" as a means of restricting citizens' access to information about life in the West, in Europe, the United States, Great Britain, and other countries of Asia. The empire, in his words, controls information completely. Inside it there is no internet, and television is under the control of the authorities and transmits only selected information. Citizens find themselves in an information vacuum. He compares them to fish in an aquarium. The large aquarium that was the Soviet Union remains an aquarium. North Korea, in his words, is a smaller aquarium.

The Collapse of the USSR and Ukraine's Independence

The Soviet Union collapsed, and the countries that had been part of it became independent and smaller in size. Ukraine is one of them. In Zelensky's view, the formation of identity presupposes one's own language, music, and clothing. He cites tourism and the diversity of cultures that, in his words, exists throughout the world. He explains the collapse of empires by the fact that they contain peoples striving for their own independence.

Nostalgia and Putin's Position

Nostalgia for the Soviet Union, in Zelensky's words, has persisted among people since its collapse. Putin, as President of Russia, set himself a goal that Zelensky characterizes as the return of the empire and the Soviet Union. Zelensky calls Putin a Soviet man. According to his claim, Putin was an intelligence officer and worked for the KGB in Germany. Zelensky quotes Putin's words that the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century was the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Geopolitical Rivalry with the United States

Zelensky believes that Putin places responsibility for the collapse of the USSR on the United States. He describes relations between the USSR and the US as a geopolitical rivalry. Both states were allies during the Second World War. After it, a Cold War and confrontation began between them. In Zelensky's view, Putin's motivation is simple: he seeks to restore the Soviet Union.

Ukraine as the Center of Claims

Zelensky asserts that the Soviet Union above all means Ukraine. He calls Ukraine "country number two."

Denial of Ukrainian Statehood and the Second World War

Historical Connection and Ukraine's Independence in 1991

Zelensky says that in the Soviet Union Ukraine was called the forge of talents. According to him, Ukraine had many scientists, engineers, universities, and a large intelligentsia. Natives of Ukraine headed various institutions and ministries of the USSR. Ukraine was considered the intellectual part of the Soviet Union. The largest missile industry was concentrated on its territory. Many other products were also manufactured here, including nuclear weapons, which Ukraine handed over.

In his view, the problem for Russia was the following. If Ukraine becomes part of Europe, the collapse of Russia is inevitable. The country includes many peoples, religions, and nations, which would split into separate states.

Putin, according to Zelensky, decided to restore the empire. He decided to start with Chechnya. The Russian army waged war there and occupied the republic, which is now part of Russia. Chechnya was completely destroyed, no buildings remained, and an enormous number of people died. The commanders who fought in Chechnya, according to Zelensky's claim, are also taking part in the events in eastern Ukraine.

Crimea, the Collapse of the USSR, and Russia's Historical Claims

Zelensky claims that the pretext for occupation is always the same: language. The first victim of this approach was Crimea. He points out that many Russian-speaking people lived on the peninsula, including Russian-speaking Ukrainians. However, according to him, Crimea is a multinational peninsula with indigenous peoples, and deportations of Crimean Tatars took place there, including several waves of expulsion.

Then, in his assessment, Russia moved on to Donbas and the east of the country. Zelensky believes the language issue was used to divide society. He calls this unfair and vile toward people. The Russian side claimed to be protecting the Russian-speaking population, but, according to Zelensky, no one was taking anything away from anyone. Eastern Ukraine borders the Russian Federation, which, in his opinion, made these actions easier.

Identity and the Imperial Rhetoric of the Kremlin

Zelensky cites a statement by Putin made a few days before the invasion began. According to him, Putin claimed that modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia, more precisely, by Bolshevik communist Russia. According to this version, the process began almost immediately after the 1917 revolution. Soviet Ukraine, as the statement says, was the result of Bolshevik policy and may rightfully be called "Ukraine of Vladimir Lenin." Ukraine, according to Putin, never had a tradition of genuine statehood. Zelensky directly says that Putin denies the existence of Ukraine as an independent nation.

Zelensky rejects this dating. Ukraine's history does not begin in 1917. Churches about a thousand years old, painted by Ukrainian masters, have survived in the country. Ukraine, according to him, is the heir of Kievan Rus, a large state with a developed civilization, known in Europe and possessing its own art and traditions. Russia, in his claim, did not exist during that period but appeared later, after Ukraine already existed.

In Zelensky's view, Putin deliberately excludes this history and starts the count from the revolution. The reason is that he is talking about the history of the Soviet Union, not Russia or Ukraine. By doing this, according to Zelensky, Putin is addressing Russians, especially schoolchildren, who receive information at school and do not study the issue more deeply. Zelensky claims that this is how Putin instills in them the idea that their lives are tied to the Soviet Union and that the country is moving toward its restoration.

The Start of the Full-Scale Invasion and the Threat to Kyiv

Zelensky points out that the full-scale war began on February 24, 2022. Missile strikes were launched immediately from the territory of Russia.

The Beginning of the Full-Scale Invasion and the Threat to Kyiv

The attack was carried out from several directions at once. Troops also entered from the territory of Belarus, since this route was the closest to the capital. The offensive advanced on Kyiv from all sides.

The Main Objective of the Invasion

The main objective was the capture of the Ukrainian capital. According to the speaker, Russian forces and separatists who were already operating in the occupied territory of Donbas were counting on achieving it.

Why the Invasion Took Place in February 2022

The host asked why the invasion began specifically in February 2022, rather than earlier or later, and what had changed by that point. He also cited a claim by Donald Trump that Joe Biden was weak, and that, according to Trump, this gave Vladimir Putin the opportunity to attack, because Putin did not respect Biden.

The speaker replied that preparations began at an earlier period. According to him, a summit between Biden and Putin took place in 2021. He could not name the exact date of the summit. The details of the meeting were unknown. Later, reports emerged that the sides had discussed a possible escalation against Ukraine.

Warnings from the Ukrainian Side

In the following months, Ukraine repeatedly raised this issue in its contacts with American partners. The Americans acknowledged that such a scenario was possible. The Ukrainian side asked for the means necessary for defense in the event of a threat of occupation.

Underestimating the Scale of the Threat

A full-scale invasion, according to the speaker, seemed highly unlikely. The experience of the occupation of Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions shaped a different view of how events might develop. No one expected missiles to start falling on cities in a single night. The speaker described the consequences of this strike: children screamed, people ran, and complete chaos broke out. According to him, these moments were horrifying, because missiles were literally flying at peaceful cities.

Drones, Negotiations, and the Position of American Partners

Today Ukraine is repelling attacks by thousands of drones, which it shoots down in the air. In the first days of the full-scale invasion, the situation was different. Around four o'clock in the morning, missiles were falling on people's heads, and everyone was in shock.

Zelensky stated that Putin began the invasion in February because that was his plan. According to Zelensky, Putin told Joe Biden many things, and he believes Biden was told lies.

Zelensky recalls that President Biden intervened in the first minutes or days of the war and offered to evacuate him. Zelensky refused and asked for weapons to defend the country. He believes the partners understood that occupying Ukraine was impossible.

According to Zelensky, the United States may have allowed for the possibility that the conflict could arise and that Ukraine could be occupied. However, no one counted on Ukraine holding out.

Zelensky claims that a day before the invasion, Europeans, who knew less than Americans, spoke with Putin. Putin promised them that there would be no invasion. Zelensky stated that Putin lied to all of them and knew about the upcoming invasion, knew everything.

US Warnings of Invasion and Sanctions Against Russia Before the War ,

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Persistent Warnings of an Invasion

Signals of a possible invasion never came in direct form. No interlocutor named a date for an attack or a specific scenario of a full-scale war. The matter concerned cautious diplomatic signals.

The Ukrainian side raised this question repeatedly, because people were worried. The anxiety affected the economy and the exchange rate. The stability of the national currency began to decline, which hit the country's economy.

Ukraine asked the United States to give a clear signal. If the American side believed war was coming, Kyiv asked for weapons and everything possible to be delivered urgently. According to the speaker, in response no one provided anything.

He also asked for sanctions to be imposed. By his account, everyone in Europe was aware of this. He called on President Joe Biden to impose sanctions against Russia in advance. The logic was that if an invasion was possible, sanctions could stop it before the decision was made final.

Biden replied that sanctions would be imposed in the event of an invasion. According to the speaker, this meant sanctions post factum rather than preventive measures.

The speaker stated that he was not entitled to evaluate the president. At the same time, in his view, that decision was a mistake.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. In October 2021, the Director of National Intelligence of the United States

Sanctions and Intelligence

Intelligence on the Preparation of the Invasion

The CIA Director informed the leadership of the United States and key NATO allies that Putin was preparing a multi-front invasion. European media published satellite images showing 100,000 Russian troops, tanks, and field hospitals deployed near the borders. In November 2021, the CIA Director personally flew to Moscow and warned Putin directly not to launch an invasion.

In December 2021, the US government declassified intelligence maps and troop strength assessments. According to this data, the strike force could have numbered up to 175,000 troops. Washington took this step to prevent a staged provocation by Russia that could have served as a pretext for an attack.

In late January and early February 2022, the US National Security Advisor publicly stated that the invasion could begin at any moment. He urged foreign citizens to leave Ukraine.

On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion. Strikes were carried out from several directions at once, with Kyiv as the main target.

Allied Reaction: Sanctions and Weapons

Zelensky said that Russia had previously held annual exercises in Belarus, and that partners had perceived them as a demonstration of force. NATO representatives and European leaders, who had received warnings, did not believe in the worst-case scenario. According to Zelensky, Putin assured European leaders that he would not invade. Ukraine's Minister of Defense was invited to these exercises and took part in them.

According to Zelensky, European partners repeated his demands: impose sanctions on Russia and transfer weapons to Ukraine. He claimed that, despite having data on an imminent invasion, the US took neither step. No sanctions were imposed, and no weapons were delivered. In his view, this reinforced doubts about the seriousness of the threat. Many believed that Russia was bluffing and seeking the implementation of the Minsk Agreements. Under these agreements, Ukraine would have had to recognize Donbas and Crimea as non-Ukrainian territories.

Zelensky himself said that he did not believe in a full-scale invasion. In his words, if partners had known about an imminent attack, they would have taken preventive measures. He noted that the invasion nevertheless happened, and that Russia quickly advanced toward Kyiv.

The First Days of the Invasion

Zelensky was with his family when he received a message from his office about missile strikes during the night. He told his wife and children that the war had begun and went to the office, where he was one of the first or second to arrive. He gathered the staff, and the working day began. According to him, it was the most difficult working day since the start of the full-scale war. He told his wife to wake up quickly, that the war had started, and promised to call her.

Zelensky stated that life had completely changed from that day on.

The interviewer cited figures on the scale of the invasion. According to his information, between 150,000 and 190,000 Russian troops were concentrated on Ukraine's border, and some estimates put the figure at 200,000. The size of this force almost matched the total number of active Ukrainian military personnel at that time.

The Defense of Kyiv

Zelensky explained that Ukraine's main forces were located in the east of the country, in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The strongest group of Russian troops and separatists, who held the front line, was also there. Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Donetsk were also important targets for Moscow. The Ukrainian command did not expect the enemy to advance through Belarus toward the capital, so there were no strong forces in that direction. Zelensky called this an absolute fact.

According to him, the Ukrainian army was significantly smaller at that moment. He said that shortly before the invasion he had changed the law and increased the size of the army to 200,000–250,000 personnel. However, it was impossible to resist 200,000 attackers with such a number of troops. In his assessment, defense required an army of the size of today's, about 800,000 personnel.

After the invasion began, Ukraine carried out a mobilization. Volunteers enlisted in the army en masse. The size of the Ukrainian armed forces grew from 200,000 to 800,000 personnel. The Russian force on Ukrainian territory, according to Zelensky, numbered approximately 700,000 troops across all directions.

Zelensky stated that Kyiv held out and the enemy suffered defeat. Russia could not hold the occupied territories due to a shortage of troops. The Armed Forces of Ukraine then pushed it out of the Kyiv and Chernihiv regions and fully restored the front line in that area.

The interviewer pointed to a 64-kilometer column that satellite images recorded at the end of February on one highway leading to Kyiv. Zelensky confirmed that these images were horrifying. According to him, Russian forces seized the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and the entire route to the capital, after which they blockaded Kyiv. The city's residents, in his account, rose to defend it, mobilized, and fought day after day. Russia cut off the supply of food and water. According to Zelensky, this was exactly what the enemy's plan was based on: to force the residents to flee.

The Evacuation Offer

Zelensky said that representatives approached him who advised him to surrender Kyiv, hand over power, and leave the city. He replied that these people should leave his office.

US President Joe Biden offered Zelensky an evacuation when Kyiv was surrounded. Zelensky replied that he needed ammunition, not a ride. Later, some Europeans and politicians from Zelensky's circle made similar offers.

During the invasion, Zelensky's family was in another location, to which they had been taken by security personnel. Zelensky himself moved to a bunker located deep beneath his office. Snipers and special forces fighters were stationed around the building. From the bunker, he maintained contact with the leaders of other countries and held the first video conference with Europeans, calling on them to unite and help Ukraine. According to him, this worked.

Zelensky stated that he went out into the streets, met with people, and demonstrated his presence in Kyiv. Russia spread information that he had fled the country and reported his location in other states. According to Zelensky, the goal of this campaign was to trigger a flight of the population. He claims that, on the orders of the military, he stayed on Bankova Street during the day, appearing before people two or three times a day. The military, as he said, later told him that knowing the president was in the capital gave them determination to defend and liberate Kyiv.

Zelensky refused to leave Kyiv. In his words, doing so would have been a betrayal of basic human decency and the Constitution of Ukraine. He believes he acted in accordance with his duty and does not see any particular choice in his decision.

Assessment of Trump's Role

The interviewer reported that Donald Trump had repeatedly stated that the invasion would not have happened if he had been president. Zelensky replied that no one knows the answer to this question. He emphasized two facts: the invasion happened under President Biden and did not happen under Trump. In his view, Trump had a special relationship with Putin. Friendly relations might have prevented a full-scale invasion.

Zelensky stated that Putin's goal remained unchanged: the occupation of Ukraine. Presidents change, so, in his view, the identity of the US president does not matter as long as Putin remains in power.

The First Days of the Full-Scale Invasion and the Defense of Kyiv

Work Without Pause and the State After Shock

Zelensky said that in the first days of the invasion he did not feel fear. He described his state as being focused on the tasks of the moment. According to him, he was constantly on his feet: making decisions, calling heads of agencies, going out into the street and returning, and communicating with the military. He held dozens of conversations daily with leaders, and in the first days he slept about 15 minutes.

Zelensky explained that he truly grasped the scale of what was happening about 20 days after the start of the war. Previously, by his account, he had been operating in crisis management mode. He noted that this reaction is typical of many people: under shock, they concentrate and start acting. The awareness of the tragedy, he said, came later, when there was an opportunity to relax.

Coordination and Logistics

The main task of the first days, according to Zelensky, was communication. He negotiated with leaders of different countries and set specific objectives: delivering cargo and organizing supplies. He said that at night he spoke with Polish President Andrzej Duda, including about a weapons depot. To speed up decisions, leaders were woken up in the middle of the night. Zelensky acknowledged that such an approach would be unacceptable now, but, he said, at that moment there was no other way out.

Among the priorities he named were unblocking Kyiv, the return of troops, repelling the enemy, communications, and supplies of food and water for the population. According to him, many cities were cut off. He also specifically mentioned the banking system and the operation of payment cards, since Ukraine, in his assessment, is a highly digitalized country.

Information War and Pace of Action

Zelensky stated that the Ukrainian side acted faster than the Russian side. Russian forces quickly advanced toward Kyiv. After they were halted near the capital, Ukraine, he said, gained an advantage in the information space. He claimed that the Ukrainian side broke the wave of Russian disinformation and consistently refuted it until Russia acknowledged the loss of the capital. He added that Ukraine's partners, seeing the country's determination not to surrender, began providing assistance.

Expectations of a Quick Victory and Russia's Miscalculations

The host reported that, according to a widespread view, Vladimir Putin expected to take Kyiv within a few days. Russian assault units, according to his information, were carrying rations for only 3–10 days and parade uniforms for a victory parade. State media, he said, accidentally published a pre-prepared statement of victory on the third day. Putin himself, as the host noted, did not publicly say the phrase about three days, but a number of well-known representatives of Russian state media openly said that the capture would take a matter of days.

Zelensky replied that Putin's main mistake lies in not recognizing Ukraine as a separate nation and state. In his view, Putin considers Ukraine part of Russia and believed the army would enter without serious resistance, the president would flee, and the Ukrainian flag would be replaced with the Russian one. Zelensky claimed that parade uniforms were found in the tanks, and that Russia intended to hold a pseudo-victory parade in Kyiv, on Khreshchatyk and on Independence Square.

According to him, the main miscalculation on the Russian side was underestimating the resistance. To hold the cities captured along the route to Kyiv, he assessed, hundreds of thousands of servicemen were required, that is, twice as many as were deployed. If there had been no resistance, fewer garrisons would have been needed. Zelensky also said that dozens and hundreds of armored vehicles were lost near Kyiv and in the Hostomel area. Some of the equipment, he said, broke into the capital, where residents set it on fire.

Donald Trump's Position on the Tanks' Route

The host relayed the words of Donald Trump, who said the war should have ended quickly. According to Trump, if the commander had not turned onto a dirt road but had continued along the paved highway, the tanks would have reached Kyiv within a day. Trump linked the delay to downpours, calling them the strongest in ten years, and to the equipment getting stuck in mud. He also said that Ukraine had lost a huge number of people over five years.

Zelensky responded that Russia did indeed encircle Kyiv, reached it, and occupied settlements on the way to the capital. Some settlements, he said, Russia bypassed, while in others it encountered resistance. He stated that he does not understand what wrong turn Trump is talking about, and that the turn is irrelevant: the decisive factor was the loss of equipment and the resistance of Ukrainian military personnel and civilians.

Crimea in 2014 and the Causes of the Full-Scale War

Zelensky compared the operation in Crimea in 2014 with the events near Kyiv. In Crimea, he said, about 3 million people lived, and at most dozens or hundreds of people entered Crimea. About 3 million people also lived in Kyiv, and hundreds of thousands opposed the invading army. The difference, he said, is that in Crimea there was no resistance, while in Kyiv residents defended the city.

Zelensky agreed with Trump that if the actions in Crimea had received a worthy rebuff, in his opinion, there would have been no full-scale war. Putin, seeing the easy capture of Crimea, decided that Kyiv could also be taken easily, he said. Zelensky emphasized that he does not blame anyone, but points to the consequences of the absence of a rebuff.

Hostomel

The host asked about the battle for the Antonov airport in Hostomel. Zelensky explained that for Russia, capturing airports was a key element of the plan. Hostomel, he said, was one of the airports where a large airborne assault group could land. The plan, as he described it, envisaged blocking Kyiv, seizing airports and television towers, intercepting information and logistics, and halting supplies of food and weapons. Deprived of leadership, he said, Ukraine would have been left without governance.

According to Zelensky, in Hostomel Russian paratroopers landed by air and captured the airport, but Ukrainian units of the National Guard and special forces then launched a counterattack. The Ukrainian side, he said, itself blew up the runway to prevent Russia from using the airport, and air defense forces shot down several Russian transport helicopters. Hostomel changed hands several times and was ultimately liberated. Zelensky said that if Russia had held the airport, it could have seized most of the capital.

He also reported that the National Guard, which is an internal troops force, was the first to enter the fight, since the main army had not yet managed to deploy. Army units were then transferred there. Similar fierce battles, he said, took place for Hostomel, Moshchun, and several small towns near Kyiv.

Bucha and Mass Graves

Zelensky said that Bucha was occupied and called what happened there genocide, which is recognized by everyone. According to him, after the city was liberated, hundreds of bodies were found. He claimed that people were tortured, had their hands tied, and were then buried in pits. He reported a mass grave in which, according to his information, about 500 people were located. He also stated that Russian military personnel looted, broke into homes, killed, took household appliances, and committed sexual violence.

Zelensky recounted that after the liberation of Bucha he went there himself and ordered that journalists be invited so that the world could see what was happening. He stressed that bodies of residents, including children, adults, and elderly people, lay on the streets. At the moment of liberation, he said, the anger toward Russian military personnel became very strong. He reported that the graves discovered included the bodies of tortured adults and children.

Zelensky also said that attempts were made to portray what happened in Bucha as a staged production. According to him, journalists worked in the city, and as a result the world saw the bodies of the dead. He cited the testimony of an elderly man who survived the occupation of Bucha during World War II, who, according to Zelensky, said that the fascists did not treat people like that. Zelensky confirmed that there is evidence and criminal cases.

He also compared these events with discoveries of mass graves in other countries and stated that during the blockade of Kyiv, Russian military personnel hunted animals and people from military vehicles. He described such actions as mockery of people. On this basis, Zelensky asked how, after everything that has happened, one can listen to Putin and forgive him.

Seeking Compromise and Negotiating the War

Compromise and Ceasefire

Zelensky stated that Ukraine needs to find a compromise. In his words, a ceasefire is the only possible first step. He believes that sitting down at the negotiating table is in itself a major compromise. He has repeatedly tried to explain to the President of the United States that Ukraine is making serious concessions, and he has asked him to understand this position. According to him, the point is to fix the front line where it currently stands.

The Impossibility of Forgiveness

Zelensky claims that no one can put themselves in the place of the relatives of people whose children were subjected to torture. In his words, no one wants to forgive. People cannot be forced to forgive. Hatred will not disappear, and time and justice are needed to weaken it. He stated directly that such a thing cannot be forgiven.

Bucha and a Change in Attitude Toward the War

Zelensky called the day in Bucha the hardest day in the last four years. He saw the bodies of people lying in the street. He had never seen anything like it before. After that, in his words, everything changed. He said that he used to think people make mistakes but do not commit such acts. Now he speaks of evil that, in his assessment, is of a different nature. He admitted that until then he had never wanted to kill a person and had never felt anything like it. He described it as pure vengeance. In his words, such things are not forgotten over time, and conversations about what happened bring those memories back.

Revenge, Justice, and the Conditions for Peace

Zelensky noted that as president he is obliged to remain calm and act diplomatically. At the same time, he does not consider it possible to forgive everything and return to normal trade relations, for example the supply of gas or diesel fuel, as if nothing had happened. He stated that he dreams only of ending the war and seeks justice. In his view, court and justice are necessary, otherwise the emptiness in people will not heal. The revenge of people who have lost everything, in his words, creates a risk of continued military action. Therefore, peace cannot be simple. A just peace requires that the guilty be punished. He considers it necessary to show the path by which this will happen, even if not now.

Personal Consequences and Family

Zelensky said that the war has changed him irreversibly. He described this as a reassessment of values. In his words, his wife Olena would say that he has changed very much and that she notices other values in him. He wants to be with his children and wife and to keep his loved ones close. According to him, a person is alone in war. Before the war he had friends, business contacts, and communication that he no longer has.

Personal Life, Family, and the Price of Politics

Family and Children

Zelensky said he constantly misses his family, even when his wife and children are nearby. According to him, the reason is his habit of immersing himself completely in work. He emphasized that he does not complain. He chose this path himself. He did not choose the war, but, in his words, it fell upon his life and the life of his generation.

He stated that all of Ukraine's children have grown up during the war. In his assessment, many children's childhoods have passed under wartime conditions, and this is sad. At the same time, he expressed confidence that peace will be established in any case.

He said that his daughter had become an adult over the last four years. He also noted that her English had improved. According to him, he and his daughter are very close, as he is with the dog.

Communication with the children, according to Zelensky, depends on having time. When he has time, he tries to be with them or call them. He noted that today many ways of staying in touch are available, and they communicate online.

Business and Priorities

Zelensky reported that he has been involved in business since the age of 18 and has managed startups. According to him, business kept him away from his loved ones. He acknowledged that a situation in which the country is under invasion and he is its leader is incomparable to that experience. He expressed doubt about the possibility of maintaining a full presence in his children's lives under such circumstances.

He agreed that presence is important. According to him, in the past, business constantly occupied all of his time. Reflecting on the war, in his words, showed that business is in second place. He named the people who are close to him as the most important. Time, in his words, is lost forever.

Wife Elena

Zelensky called his wife Elena his support throughout this period. He said that they support each other. According to him, their relationship is based on love, respect, and mutual interest. He considers mutual respect very important. He also stated that they find each other interesting and feel good together.

Mother and Daily Calls

Zelensky's mother, according to him, calls him every day. Her first question usually concerns whether he answered the call. He recounted that, being busy with work, he sometimes misses her calls. According to him, on one occasion she called twelve times. Now they have agreed to talk at least once a day. His mother asks about his health, the health of the children, and when Putin will end the war. Zelensky replies that the authorities are doing everything possible.

Occupied Territories

Zelensky named Crimea as the first occupied territory. Then, according to him, Russia seized the Sea of Azov, which he called Ukraine's internal sea. He stated that Russia turned it into an internal sea and that the Azov is now fully under Russian control. He also reported that Russia captured Mariupol and Berdyansk. According to him, Kerch, located on the Black Sea coast, created conditions under which Ukraine cannot reach the sea. He then moved on to describe the following day.

Ситуация на фронте и территориальные вопросы wh ere ...TBD

Гуманитарная ситуация в Олешках

In Oleshky there are people, including children, who are left without food and other essential resources. According to Zelensky, the Russian side is not letting them through. Ukraine, according to his information, is working to open a corridor. He named the number of people remaining there: about 2,500.

Контроль над территорией

Kherson is divided by the Dnipro. Ukrainian forces control the right bank, where the population lives, while the enemy is on the left. According to Zelensky, this is precisely why the enemy is shelling Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has regained control of Kherson as a major city.

Zelensky stated that Russia has seized Crimea and parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Kyiv and Kherson, in his words, could not be held, and these territories remain under Ukrainian control. He pointed out on the map the Kharkiv region, Kramatorsk, Yelanets and Makiivka, which, in his claim, are under Russian control. The Zaporizhzhia region, according to him, remains under Ukrainian control.

Zelensky estimated the territory he indicated on the map at roughly 18–19% of Ukraine's territory. He acknowledged that the sides' maps differ and accused Moscow of distorting information for its own population.

Удары по западным и центральным регионам

Zelensky stated that Russia is constantly attacking Ukraine with missiles and drones. He named several cities that, in his words, were struck on the day of the interview: Lutsk, Kyiv, Pryluky and Zhytomyr. In Pryluky, 23 people were killed; he said he saw this place together with the British Foreign Secretary. Zhytomyr, according to him, is under constant shelling. Odesa is also being shelled.

Rivne and Lviv, according to Zelensky, are subject to fewer strikes. He explained this by the distance of the western regions from the line of contact and from the border with Russia. Therefore, there are, in his words, fewer massive strikes there.

Цели России и требования Москвы

Zelensky stated that Russia intends to capture Zaporizhzhia but cannot do so. In his words, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Mykolaiv are targets, although Moscow does not say this publicly.

Zelensky stated that Russia demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the eastern regions. According to him, this concerns Sloviansk, Kramatorsk and Druzhkivka, and then the Dnipropetrovsk region, including Pavlohrad. He called Kryvyi Rih his hometown and Nikopol a major industrial, engineering and manufacturing center. In his assessment, handing over these cities would create a serious risk, since they form a fortified line of defense. He warned that if Russia advances further, it could seize a significant number of Ukrainian cities.

Гарантии безопасности и перемирие

Zelensky stated that Ukraine is open to discussing security guarantees, including the option of joining NATO. According to him, no one is giving guarantees. He named Ukraine's main concession as agreeing to a ceasefire, which, in his words, cost a large number of lives. Russia, according to his information, demands further withdrawal of Ukrainian troops. Zelensky asked what security guarantees would remain if Ukraine withdrew its troops, and noted that such a demand is unfair.

Оценка ядерного риска

Asked about the use of nuclear weapons, Zelensky answered that such thoughts arise for many people after Russia's actions. He expressed confidence that Russia will not take this risk, since it would then have no allies left.

Energy Crisis and Russia's Position in World Politics

Nuclear Risk

The use of nuclear weapons remains too dangerous even for nuclear powers, including the United States and China. If one country uses such a weapon, it will set a precedent. In a conflict in another region, such as the Middle East, the weapon could be used again, a second and a third time.

Zelensky said he does not believe Putin will risk using nuclear weapons. He described Putin as part of a system that will keep him in power until the end of his days. According to him, Putin will leave the Kremlin only when his life ends. The transfer of power will happen in the physical sense. Zelensky said he is completely certain of this.

Trump's Statements on Diesel Fuel

According to Zelensky, because of the global energy crisis, Trump reached an agreement with Russia on diesel fuel supplies. In addition, Trump asked Ukraine not to attack Russia's energy infrastructure. Zelensky denied this information.

Zelensky referred to a video recording in which Trump describes this situation. Trump said that Zelensky could have settled the war many times but is not doing so. According to him, the war should not have been started. He also claimed that if the elections in Ukraine had not been rigged, he would be president and there would be no war.

Trump said Ukraine may strike any targets in Russia except oil refineries, because this creates a global problem. He stated that Russia supplies a significant share of diesel fuel worldwide. According to him, Zelensky seeks to create problems for the whole world, as well as for American farmers and ranch owners who depend on diesel fuel. Trump claimed that Ukraine had been warned of a serious shortage and asked not to attack diesel facilities, but strikes on them were carried out anyway. He said the strikes must stop. Trump also said that Ukraine needs a new president.

Zelensky's Response on the Impact of Diesel Exports

Zelensky said that Russia's diesel fuel exports have practically no effect on the situation. The volume of these exports is so insignificant that it has no impact whatsoever on prices in the United States. He called the claim to the contrary completely false.

Zelensky also noted that Ukraine does not attack Russia's energy infrastructure without reason. It retaliates because Russia attacks Ukraine's power grid. Russian strikes leave people without electricity. Ukraine does not produce enough oil, gas, and diesel fuel, but the greatest damage is caused precisely by the lack of electricity. Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel fuel, according to him, hit Russia's revenues. Russia, he claims, earns money from selling diesel and spends it on weapons.

Energy Ceasefire and Putin's Position

Zelensky said he has repeatedly proposed that Trump mediate in reaching an energy ceasefire. According to him, people must have light. He also noted that Russia can sell oil if it wishes.

Zelensky claimed that Trump had failed to reach an agreement with Putin. Putin, according to Zelensky, rejected an energy ceasefire. Zelensky believes that Trump is blaming Ukraine, not Putin, for the rise in diesel fuel prices in the United States. He called such an explanation to the American people completely wrong.

Responsibility and the Situation in the Middle East

Zelensky said he has good relations with Trump. However, he considers it wrong and unacceptable that Trump places responsibility on him for Russia's aggression and its killings. According to him, such an approach distorts the context and is unfair. Zelensky said he responded to Trump: "This is unfair. A ceasefire." Trump, according to Zelensky, replied that the sides cannot reach an agreement.

Zelensky said that if the sides cannot agree but still need diesel fuel, the situation still requires a solution. He believes that the focus on Ukraine distracts attention from Iran and the events in the Middle East. According to him, the entire volume of supplies is blocked there. The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and this is the root of the problem. Instead, the blame is placed on Ukraine, and he, as the leader of the country, is becoming a target.

Zelensky said that Trump cannot force Putin to end the war and agree to an energy ceasefire.

Negotiations, Sanctions, and Domestic Political Pressure in the United States

Request for Air Defense Systems

Zelensky stated that Ukraine is requesting missiles for air defense systems. According to him, Ukraine will not attack Russia and intends to protect the energy sector. He said he had asked Trump to supply the missiles, but not for free. He also said that European countries are financing these deliveries and that a relevant agreement exists. According to him, the United States is not transferring missiles to Ukraine and cites the impossibility of such a transfer. Zelensky claims that the US is transferring Patriots to Middle Eastern countries and has previously transferred significant volumes of weapons to them. He called this situation unfair.

Energy and Diesel Prices

Zelensky stated that he is expected to show restraint in response to energy strikes on Ukraine. He linked this situation to rising diesel prices in the United States. In his assessment, diesel prices in the US do not depend on the volume of Russian oil sales. He expressed 100 percent confidence in this. Zelensky also stated that American companies export energy resources and that the export of American energy is not prohibited. He noted that the US president cannot ban private-sector exports and that such a ban would make no sense, since sales bring in revenue.

Trump's Role and Sanctions Against Russia

In Zelensky's view, Trump can bring Putin to the negotiating table without great effort. To do so, according to him, Trump must speak about Putin as harshly as he speaks about Zelensky himself. Zelensky noted that sanctions are already on the US president's desk. He emphasized that the decision on sanctions was made not by Trump but by Congress, which voted for tough measures. Trump, according to Zelensky, can impose them on his own. Asked about the reasons for the inaction, Zelensky replied that he does not know them. He allowed that there may be a special relationship between the leaders, or that economic agreements or other factors may matter. He explicitly stated that he can only speculate.

Elections in Ukraine and Elections in the US

Zelensky cited recent polls according to which about 76 percent of Ukrainians currently do not want elections. He also suggested that ahead of the US midterm elections, Trump may be more concerned about energy prices in America than about the situation in Ukraine.

Hopes for the Future and Conclusion of the Interview

Zelensky expressed hope that the war will end. He stated that time is on the side of those who are open to honest dialogue and ready to fight, and that therefore time will work for Ukraine. He expressed good wishes to the United States, which, in his words, has found itself in a difficult situation. He linked this to events in the world, to the actions of Russia and Iran, and to the fact that, in his assessment, some people strive for bloodshed and wars. He wished America to maintain its strength, peaceful existence, and the opportunity for families to live calmly and gather for family dinners. Zelensky also thanked the US for its assistance to Ukraine and stated that Ukraine will not forget it. At the end, the interviewer mentioned difficulties related to Starlink and the internet. Zelensky replied that the dialogue had gone well and thanked his interlocutor.