Zelensky discusses elections, air traffic, corruption, and war in candid conversation with Lex Fridman

Ukraine's Head of State, Volodymyr Zelensky, emphasized the importance of conducting interviews in Ukrainian, even though he is proficient in Russian.

The president said this in an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman.

"I speak Russian perfectly, of course. I understand what you are saying to me well, but I cannot answer the whole interview in Russian… Today, we had 73 missile strikes, people were killed, and there were more than a hundred drones, and this is a daily story. People who speak Russian are being hit, and people who have recently been told that they are actually protecting Russian speakers. That's why I don't respect either the leader or director of today's Russia or this people. I just don't understand that you can pretend nothing is happening," Zelensky stressed.

He remembered that he spoke to the Russians in Russian at the start of the war, but he received no response.

"They are dumb. They do not hear. Someone is afraid. The reasons are different. It's like when a person is drowning, and someone passes by because they don't hear, and someone cries because they are afraid to save them. But it is important for the person who is drowning. That person needs someone to help," the President explained.

He emphasized that he would like to give an interview in Ukrainian.

"It is important for me," the head of state emphasized.

Lex Fridman noted that some people say that Russian is banned in Ukraine.

 "This is not true," Zelensky replied. "We have disrespect for Russian today because of the Russians, and only because of that. When they were 'saving Russian speakers,' they killed many Russian-speaking people, who mostly live in the east."

Elections in Ukraine

Zelensky stated that holding elections in Ukraine would be possible only after the war ended or after changes in legislation.

"Everyone in Ukraine understands that this [elections – ed.] cannot be done until the war ends or the legislation needs to be changed. I believe the elections will be held immediately after the end of martial law. This is according to the law. Or parliamentarians need to get together and change the legislation, which will be very difficult to do because society is against it," the president noted.

Zelensky, in particular, explained that society is against holding elections since it is necessary to create an infrastructure for voting 8.5 million Ukrainians who have left for abroad.

"Millions of people in the occupied territories. I'm not even talking about the occupation of 2014, but about the occupation that was just now. What to do with those people? This is a difficult question. One of the most unfair ones is voting without a million military personnel. That is, it is impossible," he emphasized.

The president also pointed out that holding elections during a war would require a change in the voting system. Specifically, the possibility of online voting would need to be considered. However, this suggestion raises concerns about potential cyberattacks and other threats.

Earning profit through warfare

The president stated that the Ukrainian government firmly opposes any efforts to exploit the war for personal gain. He emphasized that the country not only does not benefit from the assistance it receives but also takes decisive action against individuals who attempt to abuse it.

He emphasized that most of the international aid to Ukraine is provided in the form of weapons, not money. Zelensky assured that the Ukrainian authorities strictly react to any attempts to misuse the aid.

"Where we saw the risks that something could happen with weapons, we slapped everyone's hands. And believe me, this applies not only to Ukraine. We did not make money from the war. If we found someone who tried to do this, we slapped them on the hands and will continue to do so," he noted.

Zelensky also noted that spreading disinformation is another problem that undermines trust in Ukraine and makes it difficult to receive support from international partners.

"When someone says that somewhere Ukraine was selling weapons, and Russia picked up on this message, we always answered: look, our military would have punished these people themselves. Sorry, without a trial and investigation, because we don't have enough weapons on the front. When too much such information appears, trust and assistance are lost. Therefore, believe me, we are fighting disinformation more than with real cases [of weapons sales – ed.]," Zelensky emphasized in an interview with an American podcaster.

Ukraine will overcome corruption at the institutional level

Zelensky is convinced that Ukraine will overcome corruption at the institutional level, although it is still "in everyday life." The president said Ukraine has a "very complex anti-corruption system" covering many elements. According to him, almost all relevant reforms have been carried out, and all independent anti-corruption bodies are working today.

"They are still imperfect, there are many issues," Zelensky noted. "There is a judicial system, but judicial reform is also spelled out… in specific laws, decrees, specific decisions."

At the same time, he acknowledged that there is corruption in Ukraine despite this.

"To say that we do not have corruption is to lie. We are simply talking about it openly. We are really fighting it," the president emphasized.

He mentioned that "we've had the most powerful oligarch behind bars since we gained independence," referring to Kolomoisky. Furthermore, he stressed that Ukraine has also been battling influential Russian oligarchs.

"Of course, corruption exists in everyday life, it does, but institutionally, I am sure that Ukraine will overcome all this," the head of state is convinced.

At the same time, he indicated that lobbying in some countries can also be considered corruption. According to Zelensky, of the $177 billion in aid allocated to Ukraine in accordance with the adopted decisions, "we did not receive even half."

The president also said that he had suggested that the United States use Ukrainian planes, transferred to Europe after the start of a full-scale war, to transport American weapons to the country.

"I asked America to give me the opportunity to carry out transportation on our planes so as not to pay many people… American companies. And no, I was not given such an opportunity," Zelensky said.

According to him, Ukraine could have received more weapons, "but I had to pay for these very expensive [American – ed.] planes."

Some companies are lobbying for such decisions, the head of state explained.

"Speaking of corruption, one should ask who is involved in it. If there was $177 billion, and we received half, then where is the rest? Having found the second half, you will find corruption," Zelensky noted.

Zelensky on relations with Elon Musk

Ukraine's president thanked the American billionaire Elon Musk for his help in repelling Russian aggression.

"First of all, I had a conversation with him at the beginning of the war. I talked with him. I respect him; first and foremost, I respect the self-made man, right? No one and nothing fell into their lap, but the man did something, did it all himself. I worked myself and created a big production company, and I know what it means to make money, select talented people, impart knowledge to them, invest money, and create something," Zelensky said.

At the same time, he noted that he does not compare himself with Musk.

"Musk is a world leader in innovation. I believe that such people move the world forward. I respect the result of his work. We see this result. It has always been important to me, if your result can be used, that these are not just words," the president noted.

Zelensky thanked Musk for the satellite Internet systems:

"We used Starlink both at the front and in kindergartens. It was used in schools; it helped children. We used it in various infrastructures. And it helped us very much. And I would very much like Elon to be on our side as much as possible, to… to support us. And yes, I am grateful to him for Starlink; truly, I am."

The head of state also hoped that Musk would "come to Ukraine and talk to people."

Trump may arrive in Ukraine by plane

After Ukrainian airspace opens, US President Donald Trump may become the first world leader to fly to Kyiv.

"The war will end, and President Trump may be the first leader to fly to Ukraine by plane. It would be symbolic," Zelensky said.

According to the president, he would very much like to be able to return air traffic to Kyiv, "but for this, it is necessary that there is no war, that there is a stable peace, and that there are air defense systems."

"Let's take the Rzeszow airport in Poland, which receives cargo for Ukraine. Patriot systems are located there because everyone understands that Russia is a risk," Zelensky noted.

At the same time, he added that "taking an air defense system from a city or another that is being shelled and moving it to the airport is dishonest because people are more important than planes."

For reference:

American interviewer Lex Fridman revealed that he had recorded a podcast lasting over three hours with President Volodymyr Zelensky. In the interview, the Ukrainian leader stated that Ukraine is prepared to initiate a ceasefire, provided that it possesses adequate weaponry and that the sanctions against the Russian Federation are not lifted.