Zelensky is the first President of Ukraine to swear in an interview

6 January 2025 09:54

VIDEO

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy used several swear words during a conversation with American podcaster Lex Friedman, thus becoming the first President of Ukraine to swear during an official interview. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian".

Initially, speaking about the Budapest Memorandum, Zelensky said that it was a fiction, and none of the signatory states was going to fulfill their obligations.

“After part of Donbas and Crimea was occupied, Ukraine sent letters three times over the course of several years to all security guarantors, all members of the Budapest Memorandum. What does the memorandum say? Consultations, Ukraine holds consultations if its territorial integrity is violated. And everyone should be at the consultations, everyone should come, they should meet urgently – America, Britain, Russia, France, China,”

– zelensky said.

However, according to him, no one came or even responded to Ukraine’s calls for consultations.

“Why? I don’t give a f*ck. It’s clear in Russian, right? Just like the Russians didn’t give a f*ck, so did all the other security guarantors of the Budapest Memorandum. No one gave a f*ck about this country, about these people…”

– zelensky said.

The Ukrainian president then cursed when he recalled the behavior of the United States before the full-scale Russian invasion. Zelenskiy said that he had been warned by his American partners that an invasion was in the works. In response, he allegedly asked for weapons and, above all, for preventive sanctions against Russia.

“Please don’t say, ‘If he comes, if he crosses the borders, if he kills, we will impose sanctions. Well, this is bullshit, I’m sorry,”

– the President of Ukraine said.

According to him, before the full-scale Russian invasion, there was a lot of lip service and very little real support from the United States.

Sometimes Zelensky allowed himself to use another “strong word”:

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What Zelenskyy and Friedman talked about

At the beginning, Zelenskyy emphasized that the war is dramatically changing reality, including the language. Although Russian was the language of his childhood, today he sees it as a tool of the aggressor. The President frankly explained why he preferred Ukrainian during the interview, despite the ease of communication in Russian. For him, this is a principled choice that symbolizes the struggle for the country’s identity and independence. At the same time, he recognized the importance of using different languages to achieve strategic goals, such as appealing to Russians to end the war.

Separately, the President emphasized the issue of corruption, which is often targeted by Russian propaganda. He emphasized that Ukraine closely monitors the use of international aid, mostly receiving weapons rather than financial resources. Zelenskyy denied any allegations of arms sales, emphasizing tough action against violators:

“If such people existed, our military would destroy them themselves.”

Discussing peace, Zelenskyy recalled his meetings with Vladimir Putin, including the 2019 talks in Paris. A ceasefire agreement was reached then, which, however, was quickly violated by the Russian side. The President was skeptical that Putin really wanted the war to end, pointing to his inconsistency and lack of real interest in peace. He emphasized that any dialogues should be based on strength, not on attempts to “highlight” the aggressor in a positive light.

The interview also revealed Zelenskyy’s personal experiences at the beginning of the war. The President recalled the night of the full-scale invasion, when Russian missiles shelled Kyiv and his family hid in a shelter. He frankly admitted that at that moment he stopped being just a father and husband, because the president’s duty required him to focus exclusively on protecting the country. Zelenskyy also shared his decisions on organizing the defense of the capital, distributing weapons to civilians, and creating the Marathon information platform, which united the country’s media resources to counter Russian disinformation.

The conversation was emotional and tense, at least on the part of the Ukrainian president. Zelenskyy drew parallels between the current war in Ukraine and the events of World War II. He emphasized that the fascist ideology of that time and the current “Russian world” have much in common, including the desire to dominate and destroy other nations. The President expressed confidence that the lessons of the past should teach the world to unite in the face of threats, rather than ignore them, as it was on the eve of World War II.

Concluding the conversation, Zelenskyy thanked for the attention to Ukraine and emphasized that the fight for freedom is not only a military or political process. It is also a battle for humanity, dignity, and the right to choose, which the Ukrainian people defend every day.