In a recent interview with Lex Fridman, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the West for its reluctance to impose preventive sanctions on Russia prior to its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Apologies, but that was nonsense,” Zelensky remarked, referring to the failure of Western nations to act proactively before February 2022. He also stated that Ukraine would agree to a ceasefire only if it received sufficient weapons to protect itself against potential future attacks.
“If the ceasefire works, no one will use these weapons. But they need to remain in place, unlike before—no offense to the United States,” Zelensky noted. “I don’t want to see a repeat of what happened under Biden.”
Zelensky emphasized that, in the event of Ukraine joining NATO, the Alliance could operate on territories under Kyiv’s control. “This can be negotiated,” he added.
He also revealed plans to negotiate with Donald Trump after January 25, 2025, to discuss ways to end the war. “If Trump offers strong security guarantees, a subsequent meeting with Russian representatives could take place,” Zelensky said.
“First, we need to agree with him [Trump] on how to stop the war and stop Putin. It’s crucial for us to sit down with him. (…) It’s also important that Europe has a voice (…). I’m confident that Trump, together with Europe, could offer Ukraine strong security guarantees. Only then could talks with Russia follow—definitely not a scenario where we sit down as a trio right away,” he explained.
On the Budapest Memorandum:
Zelensky criticized the participants of the Budapest Memorandum for failing to uphold their security guarantees to Ukraine. He noted that, after the occupation of Crimea and Donbas, Kyiv sent three official requests for consultations under the terms of the document, which were ignored.
“No one cared about Ukraine among the security guarantors of the Budapest Memorandum,” Zelensky said.
The president added that he had asked Trump to allocate $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to Ukraine for the purchase of American weapons.
“We’ll buy weapons from you and invest in your industry,” he told Trump.
On Attending Trump’s Potential Inauguration:
Zelensky said he would not attend Trump’s inauguration unless he received an official invitation.
“I can’t come during the war unless President Trump formally invites me. (…) If he does invite me, I’ll come,” Zelensky explained.
When Fridman suggested that an informal invitation might have been extended, Zelensky dismissed the idea, saying, “They should take certain steps,” while making a gesture resembling a phone call.
Earlier, Trump stated that he had not invited Zelensky to his inauguration scheduled for January 20 but would welcome him if Zelensky expressed interest in attending.
On the Threat of Putin’s Future Aggression:
Zelensky warned that even if Trump temporarily stops Putin’s war, it would not be a permanent solution. “Trump’s presidency will last four years, but in the fifth year, Putin will regroup, correct his mistakes, and attack again,” Zelensky said.
“And do you think, after such humiliation—four years without war, failing to finish us off—Putin won’t come back? He’ll destroy everything in his path. And if there’s even a risk that Trump pulls out of NATO, Putin will devastate Europe,” Zelensky stressed.
On Elon Musk’s Role and Contributions:
The Ukrainian president expressed his respect for Elon Musk, describing him as a “self-made” individual who has achieved great things through hard work.
“I respect him. First of all, I respect self-made people. I love such individuals. Nothing fell from the sky for him; he created everything himself. I’ve worked myself, so I know what it means to earn money, assemble talented teams, and create meaningful things for others,” Zelensky said.
He thanked Musk for providing Starlink systems and invited him to visit Ukraine to “talk to people” directly.
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Zelensky’s recent remarks align with his broader stance on the need for international involvement in securing peace in Ukraine. Learn more in our article: Zelensky Supports the Idea of Peacekeeping Troops in Ukraine.