Here's What You Need to Know About President Zelenskyy's Bold Interview with American Podcaster Lex Fridman

American podcaster Lex Fridman interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on January 5, 2025. Fridman opened by noting that the conversation was conducted in Ukrainian, English, and Russian. Thanks to AI systems, the episode is available in multiple languages. The interview was recorded in Kyiv. Fridman emphasized his primary goal: peace, which shaped much of the discussion.

On language

Russians began the occupation of Ukraine under the pretense of defending the Russian language but have killed Russian-speaking Ukrainians in the country’s east, said Zelenskyy.

“With all due respect,” he told Fridman. “I would like to do this interview in Ukrainian. If there are some points that you want me to explain in Russian, I can certainly do that.” 

Zelenskyy added that the Russian language is not banned in Ukraine. “It is far better for Donald Trump to hear my English, not my Russian,” he said.

On World War II and February 24, 2022

“My grandfather fought in World War II as part of the infantry,” said Zelenskyy. “He rarely spoke about it and never bragged, even though, as they used to say back then, ‘His chest is covered in medals.’” 

To Zelenskyy’s grandfather, war was a tragedy for everyone. He lost his brothers, and parts of his family were executed or tortured.

“We cannot look at World War II as if it started in 1939,” the President pointed out. “It didn’t begin in 1941 either.” Hitler aimed to conquer the world, while many countries had stood by, turning a blind eye, he said. The same is happening now with Putin and Ukraine.

On the US and the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion

Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Zelenskyy said to the United States: if you are certain an invasion is coming, give Ukraine two things: weapons to strengthen the country and preemptive sanctions to intimidate Putin.

“Intimidate him,” Zelenskyy recalls. “Please don’t say ‘only if he comes, if he crosses the border, if he kills we are imposing sanctions.’ This is complete bullshit. Sorry, but it really is.”

Ukraine hadn’t received help at the time, he said. “If we assume that words are help, well then yes, we received a lot of it, because there were plenty of words.”

Zelenskyy described February 24, 2022: “War doesn’t happen like you read in books or see in movies. That morning, I went to the presidential office. I’m the president and this is my duty.” 

The Ukrainian government quickly issued orders—on military strategy, energy, evacuations, and humanitarian needs. Zelenskyy pointed out that the president became the main source of information for the people. Russian propaganda claimed Zelenskyy had fled. 

“It was crucial to go outside, on a real street, to show people I was real—not a green screen, not some digital manipulation,” he said.

On Lukashenko

“A few days after the full-scale war, I spoke with Lukashenko  on the phone,” Zelenskyy said. “He apologized and said ‘It wasn’t me,’” blaming Putin for launching missiles from Belarusian territory. 

Zelenskyy told Lukashenko that he was complicit since the missiles were fired from his land. “I still remember him telling me, ‘Hit the refinery. You know how much I care about it.”

On Putin

“You must speak with those who are listening,” Zelenskyy said. “I love that message of President Trump, when he says—peace through strength. That is very important. If you are strong, you can speak. And we need to be strong. Do you think Putin wants to end the war? That’s naïve, I am sorry. The only thing he understands is fear and strength.”

He recalled past agreements with Putin: “In December 2019 in Normandy, in Paris at the Elysee Palace, Macron, Merkel, Putin and I agreed on the ceasefire and prisoner exchanges. Putin wasn’t deeply involved in the issue and didn’t seem to care for the details. But he knew every detail when gas to Europe was mentioned—something Merkel asked me to address.“

“So, what about the ceasefire?” Zelenskyy asked. “The Russians started killing us about a month later. I called him several times, but eventually, the Kremlin stopped answering. That’s why security guarantees are vital.”

“Putin could destroy all of Europe,” said Zelenskyy. “Hitler conquered the continent with a million-man army. Today, Ukraine has the largest army  in Europe. The second place is four times smaller than us [France].”

North Korea could send 30,000 to 500,000 troops to support Putin, as an autocracy, Zelenskyy said. Russia has already lost 780,000 soldiers, dead or wounded. “Will Europe be able to build an army consisting of two to three million people?” Zelenskyy asks. “No, Europe will not want to do this.”

Putin’s goal, Zelenskyy argued, is to prevent Ukraine’s independence and retain influence over it. “He wants to revive the Soviet Union. He does this little by little. Look at Georgia—once moving toward the EU and NATO, it is now turning back to Russia, even with Abkhazia under Russian control. They have in Abkhazia what we have in Donbas, which is controlled by militant rebels. And Abkhazia is not developing. It’s just a very beautiful part of Georgia that has died.”

“Meanwhile, North Korean soldiers are mastering new technologies, drones, missiles, how it works; the kind of technological war we have today, cyber war, etc. North Korea will bring home all these skills and scale up. This will be a risk for the Pacific region, for Japan, and for South Korea.”

On Trump, the US, and NATO

Trump could stop Putin because Putin is afraid of him, Zelenskyy said. But what happens after four years when Trump leaves? “Putin is no fool—he’ll prepare, learn from mistakes, and start again,” said the President. “NATO provides strong security guarantees, including weapons. No NATO country has a war on its soil. Without guarantees, Putin will return.”

Zelenskyy underscored US influence and without America, there is no alliance. “European leaders constantly ask me, ‘What’s the latest from the US?’” he said. “This shows Trump’s influence. The US can provide strong security guarantees together with Europe. Only then can we talk to the Russians.”

On the importance of security guarantees

“Ukraine had security guarantees—the Budapest Memorandum ,” the President said. “Nuclear weapons are the security guarantees that Ukraine once [also] had. Ukraine had used them for protection. That doesn’t mean that we would have used it. We signed the Budapest Memorandum with the US, Russia, the UK, France, and China. They promised Ukraine territorial integrity and sovereignty [in exchange for nuclear weapons]. These are the largest states. This is the nuclear five that does not even provide security guarantees.”

“When Crimea and Donbas were occupied, Ukraine sent letters to the guarantor states. ‘Everyone must meet urgently, USA, Britain, Russia, France, China.’ Did anyone come? No. Why? They didn’t give a fuck.”

In 2008, Merkel opposed Ukraine joining NATO, Zelenskyy continued. And in the Minsk agreements, the US wasn’t even involved.

On frozen Russian assets

“Russia must pay for this,” Zelenskyy said. “This is one of security guarantees. Take $300 billion of frozen Russian assets. We can take it and invest in defense and reconstruction. With this money, we will buy weapons from the United States.”

These aren’t American or European funds—they’re Russian, the President reminded. Sanctions are crucial to deprive Russia of war funding.

On Ukrainian elections

“Elections did not take place in 2024 that year,” Zelenskyy said. “We need to understand the Constitution. Due to martial law under the Constitution, you cannot hold the elections.” 

The parliamentary elections also did not take place in the fall of 2024 according to the Constitution, he added.

“We want elections that we want to trust,” Zelenskyy said. “Eight million people went abroad. The infrastructure needs to be created for these millions of people to vote. Millions of people are in the occupied territories. One of the most unfair ones is how to vote without counting soldiers. It is impossible. Online voting risks cyberattacks. Immediately after the war ends, elections may take place in 90 days.”

Regarding the reelections, Zelenskyy said “It depends on how this war will end. It depends on what people will want.”

On corruption

Ukraine is meeting the demands of US and EU partners and have implemented many reforms, with many more to do, Zelenskyy said. “Almost all the anti-corruption reforms and anti-corruption bodies today are independent. They work as requested. We have jailed Ihor Kolomoyskyi, who is the most influential Ukrainian oligarch since independence. Corruption exists in daily life, but some of what is labeled corruption elsewhere is called lobbying. We continue to fight corruption.”

On Elon Musk

“I respect him as a self-made innovator,” Zelenskyy said. “We are very grateful for Starlink. It has helped. We used it after Russian missile attacks on the energy infrastructure. We used Starlink both at the front and in kindergartens. It was used in schools, it helped children. I would like Elon to be on our side as much as possible to support us. I would like him to come to Ukraine, to talk to people here and to look around.”

On Ukraine’s future

Zelenskyy said that Ukraine’s future means closer ties with Europe “Our people have chosen Europe. We want peace.”

Zelenskyy mentioned the need to create jobs to bring eight million Ukrainians back, which means business investments in the private sector, resource projects, and energy, including oil, gas, renewables, and uranium. “Full digitalization of government processes is also key,” he said. “We have our Diia .”