President Volodymyr Zelensky gave a nearly three-hour interview to American podcast host Lex Friedman, during which they discussed peace talks, the role of US President-elect Donald Trump in the war, and even the Ukrainian president's conversation with Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko.
The conversation between Zelensky and Friedman took place simultaneously in three languages: Ukrainian, Russian and English.
ICTV Facts collected the president's main points from the podcast with Lex Friedman, which was made public by both the American host himself and the Office of the President of Ukraine.
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Contents
- Zelensky on the Russian language
- Zelensky and Lukashenko
- On Trump's inauguration and his visit to Ukraine
- On negotiations with Trump and Putin
- Zelensky: Putin — deaf
- Frozen assets of the Russian Federation
- Security guarantees and NATO
- On elections and a second term
- On North Korean military losses
- On Putin's goals
- On the Budapest memorandum
Zelensky about the Russian language
Friedman, who speaks Russian, suggested that Volodymyr Zelensky conduct an interview in this language, to which the president initially refused, but then the interlocutors agreed on a flexible format of the conversation, during which they spoke three languages.
— Today there were 73 missile strikes on us, people died. Today there were more than 100 drones. Yes, and this is a daily story. They are striking people who speak Russian. They are striking people who were recently told that they were actually protecting Russian speakers. And that is why I do not respect either the leader or director of today's Russia, or these people, — Zelensky commented on Friedman's request to speak Russian.
The head of state also recalled that at the beginning of the war he addressed the Russians in Russian, however, this did not produce results.
— They speak the language of weapons. You know, at the beginning of the war I addressed the Russians in Russian: zero. They are dumb. They do not hear, they did not hear, and some are afraid, and some are afraid of something else. The reasons are different. Since these people are deaf and began the occupation, supposedly with the protection of the Russian language, I sincerely despise them. Therefore, with all due respect, I would like to give an interview in Ukrainian. This is very important to me. If there are any points and you need them for me to explain some details in Russian, of course, some points can be explained, but in general — no, — the president said.
Zelensky and Lukashenko
In the conversation, President Zelensky recalled how self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, after the start of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, asked for forgiveness and said that he was not guilty of invading Ukraine from Belarusian territory.
— By the way, a few days later, in the first days of the war, I spoke to Lukashenko on the phone. And he apologized. And he said that it wasn't me. They launched missiles from my territory and Putin launched them. These are his words. I have witnesses and I apologize, he said: “Well, believe me, he told me: “You believe me, Volodya, it wasn't me”. “I don't control”, he told me: “I don't control, it's just missiles, it's Putin”, — the Ukrainian president recalled.
Zelensky says that he then responded to Lukashenko that the Belarusian ruler was the same kind of murderer as Putin.
Then, as the Ukrainian head of state claims, Lukashenko suggested that Zelensky strike the Mozyr Oil Refinery in response, which is located on the territory of Belarus.
On Trump's inauguration and his visit to Ukraine
President Zelensky admitted that newly elected US President Trump could become the first leader to fly to Ukraine by plane after the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation.
— The war will end and President Trump could be the first leader to fly by plane. I think it would be symbolic, — Zelensky suggested.
In another segment of the podcast, the Ukrainian president also discussed with the interviewer his participation in Donald Trump's inauguration, which is scheduled for January 20 of this year.
— I would like (to attend the inauguration, — Ed.), but I can't come unless President Trump invites me. It's not nice. I know that leaders are not invited separately, but I know leaders who can come on their own. I'm the kind of person — I can't visit without an invitation, — Zelensky said.
In response to Friedman's comment that Trump allegedly invited Zelensky to the inauguration, the Ukrainian president said that the main issue here is security, which the United States should organize, since it is in the interests of the American side.
On negotiations with Trump and Putin
During the interview, Friedman said that he would like the three presidents to — Zelensky, Trump and Putin — sat down at the negotiating table to agree on a ceasefire and security guarantees. After which the parties would sign the relevant document.
To this, the head of the Ukrainian state responded that the first such negotiations should take place between Ukraine, Trump and Europe.
— I think that on January 25 or another day we will sit down first of all with Trump. We will agree on how we can stop the war and Putin. Secondly, it is very important for us that Europe also has a voice, — Zelensky said.
The Ukrainian leader added that if Trump offers Ukraine strong security guarantees, then it could happen with the Russian side as well.
— Ukraine has every right to have its voice be the loudest in this, because we are at war. And we will come to an agreement with Trump, and then, if, and I am sure, he can offer strong security guarantees together with Europe. And after that, there may be a conversation with the Russians. And that is exactly how, and not just the three of us sitting down right away, — he said.
Zelensky: Putin — deaf
Zelensky also said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is “deaf”, and therefore he should be spoken to from a position of strength.
— Yes, he (Putin, — Ed.) is generally deaf, even if he talks to you. He is essentially a deaf person… You understand the difference? You're talking to (Elon, — Ed.) Musk, you're talking to an innovator and a scientist, you're talking about how to save rockets, how they come back. And he doesn't come back to save rockets, he kills people with them. You think you can talk about technology with Putin? Your guys (probably talking about Tucker Carlson, — Ed.) interviewed him and he also talked about the history of the tribe…
Imagine where Musk, technology, Mars, artificial intelligence, and this one stands there with his bare ass talking about tribes? You think you're interviewing, Mr. Tucker interviewed you. And everyone thinks, “oh, we're going to make them friends now”. What does “making friends” have to do with it? He's just different. You're standing in front of a mammoth, — Zelensky said.
Frozen assets of the Russian Federation
Also in the interview, the president proposed using frozen Russian assets to buy weapons in the United States.
— Take the 300 billion frozen Russian assets. We will take them. We will take the money that is needed for our domestic production and we will buy all the weapons in the United States. We do not need gifts from the United States. This will be useful for your industry, for the United States. We will invest money there. Russian money, not Ukrainian, — he said.
He also suggested that this could become one of the security guarantees from the United States.
Security guarantees and NATO
In a conversation with Friedman, Zelensky also said that Ukraine could agree to a suspension of hostilities under conditions where it receives serious security guarantees, weapons and a long-term sanctions policy towards the Russian Federation.
— NATO means strong security guarantees for all people, for us this is part of the security guarantees. The second part is the weapons package. We will not use them. If the ceasefire works, no one will use weapons. But they must remain. I ask, please, sanctions now, weapons now. And then we will see if they start. If we do not have security guarantees, then Putin will come again, — Zelensky believes.
The Ukrainian leader also added that if Trump agrees to a cessation of hostilities without guarantees from Ukraine, this will only incite Putin.
— He (Putin, — Ed.) is afraid of Trump today, and as soon as Trump agrees to a ceasefire without serious security guarantees for Ukraine, he will give Putin an opportunity, because in Putin's head — to quarrel me with Trump and end the occupation of Ukraine. That's why I told you — don't wait for Putin's desire, make him stop the war, — said the president.
Among other guarantees, Volodymyr Zelensky named Ukraine's membership in NATO with the extension of Article 5 of the military-political bloc on collective defense to territories controlled by Kyiv.
According to the president, if today Europe should adhere to the course so as not to buy oil and gas from Russia. Zelensky believes that this will be cheaper for the world as a whole.
On elections and a second term
Vladimir Zelensky also said that today in Ukraine everyone understands that holding elections under martial law is impossible. The alternative is to change the legislation.
— I believe that the elections will be held immediately after the end of martial law, this is according to the law. Or parliamentarians should get together and change the legislation, which will be very difficult to do, because society is against it, because we want elections that can be trusted. 8.5 million people have left the country. Millions of people are in the occupied territories. And one of the most unfair things is to vote without a million soldiers, — the president explained.
Friedman also asked Zelensky if he plans to run for a second term. In response, the Ukrainian president said that this is a “difficult question”, which will depend on how the war ends, what the Ukrainians and his own family want. However, for now, the president claims, he is not thinking about the elections.
On the losses of the North Korean military
As Zelensky reported, the DPRK troops participating in the war on the side of Russia lost 3.8 thousand people killed and wounded.
— North Korea. 12 thousand arrived (to the territory of the Russian Federation to participate in the war, — Ed..). As of today, 3,800 have been killed or wounded. They can bring another 30-40 thousand. Or they can bring 500. They can bring a lot of people. Because they have an autocracy, the president believes.
The head of state added that Europe could assemble its own army, which would number up to three million soldiers. However, today the largest army in Europe is the Ukrainian one, in which 980 thousand servicemen serve.
However, he added that official Kyiv has no goal of attracting foreign troops to the battlefield:
— There is no such goal to gather everyone — we do not want war. We want to stop the Russians. And they invite soldiers from North Korea. They burn their faces, the wounded or killed, — Zelensky said.
On Putin's goals
Volodymyr Zelensky also believes that the goals of Russian dictator Putin include a weak NATO without the US and a weak Ukraine without security guarantees.
This would allow the Russian ruler to expand the war to the countries of Eastern Europe that were once under the influence of the USSR.
— I think there are two steps that Putin would like to take. A weak NATO, and that is without Trump and the US. And a weak Ukraine that will not stand on the battlefield. This will lead to a large-scale war, which Putin will bring to all the territories of that post-Soviet Europe, after the period of World War II. This is what he will do, — Zelensky noted.
He also added that politicians in the US must understand that the head of the Kremlin wants not only to destroy the Ukrainian state, but also to control all former countries that were part of or under the control of the Soviet Union.
As an example, he cited the frozen conflict in Georgia and the establishment of a pro-Russian government there, as well as the destabilization of Moldova.
— He will now fight for the Moldovan parliament. You will see what will happen in April. He will begin to turn Moldova away from Europe. There will be a pro-Russian party, and they will do something with the pro-European president who has now won the elections. And the next steps are absolutely clear. He will do everything to return the post-Soviet countries as much as possible. And we understand at what cost. You saw Syria, — said the President of Ukraine.
According to Zelensky, Trump and the United States as a whole should understand how the Russian-Ukrainian war affects the security of other parts of the world where Washington would like to maintain its influence.
On the Budapest Memorandum
Volodymyr Zelensky also stated that official Kyiv needs reliable security guarantees not only on paper to end the war, and cited the Budapest Memorandum as an example, where all guarantors were indifferent to Ukraine.
— The Budapest Memorandum contained security guarantees for Ukraine. At first, there were three main guarantors of security for Ukraine, three strategic friends and partners of Ukraine: the USA, Russia, Great Britain. France and China joined in. There were five states. Now we understand that these were not security guarantees at all. They wrote “assurances”… These are the largest states, this is the nuclear five. Now we should find all these people who came up with all this and just put them in prison.… After part of Donbass and Crimea were occupied, Ukraine sent letters three times over several years to all security guarantors, all members of the Budapest Memorandum, — he said.
He recalled that the Budapest Memorandum prescribed consultations in the event of aggression against Ukraine, however, no one responded to these requests from Kyiv and, as a result, did not come.
— Why? I don't give a damn. This is clear in Russian? Just as Russians didn’t give a damn, so all the other guarantors didn’t give a damn about this country, about these people, about these security guarantees, — Zelensky explained emotionally.
The President added that he spoke with US President-elect Trump about the Budapest Memorandum and added that he plans to raise this conversation in the future.
Zelensky also recalled that after the start of the big war with Russia, the corresponding letters for consultations were also sent to key countries, however, no one responded to them.
Zelensky called the story with security guarantees for Ukraine a “train with waste paper”, where the “second carriage” were the Minsk agreements.
— The US was no longer there. Obama was there then, he simply wasn't interested in what was going on with Ukraine and where it was, Zelensky said.
Separately, the Ukrainian president accused former head of the German government Angela Merkel, saying that she “forced everyone not to invite Ukraine to NATO” at the 2008 Bucharest summit. Although, according to Zelensky, even US President George Bush supported such a decision”.
