The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, stated that prior to the full-scale war launched by Russia against Ukraine, there were "a lot of words" from Western allies and a lack of real assistance. He believes the words were unnecessary.
Additionally, Zelensky mentioned in a podcast with Lex Fridman that he requested sanctions and weapons from the United States. He did not ask for proof that Russia might attack.
"Just give me two things. Strengthen us with weapons. In other words, intimidate [the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin]. Please don’t say that if he comes, if he crosses the borders, if he starts killing, then we will impose sanctions. That’s bullshit. Sorry. It’s the truth," the head of state emphasized.
Volodymyr Zelensky recalled the early years of Putin's presidency when he spoke about Russia’s future potentially being tied to NATO and EU membership. He mentioned shared values with the West. However, according to the president, Putin has something in common with the leader of Nazi Germany, Hitler — the world allows him to "suffer from the desire to destroy; to suffer from this process."
He also recounted a call from "President of Belarus" Alexander Lukashenko in the early days of the war, where he apologized to Ukraine.
Other Statements by Volodymyr Zelensky from the Podcast
Earlier, UNIAN reported that the President of Ukraine refused to give an interview in Russian. He explained this by stating that he does not want to give the Kremlin dictator another opportunity to refer to Ukrainians and Russians as "one people."