#456 – Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine, War, Peace, Putin, Trump, NATO, and Freedom
Episode publishedPodcast: Lex Fridman PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
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The following is a conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine. It was an intense, raw, and heartfelt conversation. My goal for which was to understand and to do all I can to push for peace. Please allow me to say a few words, first about language, then about the president, and finally, about history. Please skip ahead straight to our conversation if you like. We spoke in a mix of languages, continuously switching from Ukrainian to Russian to English. So, the interpreter was barely hanging on. It was indeed in many ways, a wild ride of a conversation. As the president said,
If we can explain why the Ukrainian language is very important, our conversation will be most effective and impactful if we speak in Russian.
I speak Russian perfectly, of course, and I understand everything you are talking about. However, I can't respond in Russian the entire interview. It's because this is how it is today. I am not making anything up. You can see it all for yourself. You can feel and hear it. Today, there were 73 missile attacks against us, and people were killed. There were over 100 drones today, and this is a daily occurrence. The people who attack us, they speak Russian. They attack people who were only recently told that this was actually in defense of Russian speaking people. And this is why I respect me neit
If I may please allow me to say this in Russian. Yes. Many things have changed, but I have hope. I hope that today, many Russians will hear this, that Vladimir Putin will hear this, that the American president Donald Trump and the American people will hear this, that everyone will hear this. And, yes, Ukrainian language is important symbolically. But what is also important is that we understand each other well.
Or Donald Trump? Is it important for Donald Trump whether I speak Russian or not?
Yes. Because unfortunately, and it hurts to admit, but I cannot speak or understand Ukrainian yet. So your your wit, dynamism, and your humanity will not come through as well and as quickly. Remember, I need to wait for 2 to 3 seconds to hear it. You have a great sense of humor, great stories. With an interpreter translating, I simply won't see this, but I understand that it's painful. Another reason is that I hoped we could show that even though it is sometimes said that Russian is banned in Ukraine This
is not true. I'm speaking Russian now. Right? We have people who speak Russian. This is not true, really. It's not. It's really not true. We disrespect Russian now because of Russians. That's all. When they were saving Russian speakers, they killed Russian speakers, many people who actually, many of whom are in the east. Right? In the east, they live lived in the east. They destroyed their houses, destroyed their lives. It's not a rhetorical thing. It's not all talk and blah blah blah. I don't have time for blah blah blah. Yes. So it's a very, very, very important and sensitive moment. The mes
English is much better than my Ukrainian. You're
getting better and better every day. I'm
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