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the-jam-to-the-unicorn · 2 years

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3 Years Of Presidency - The Interview

On the third anniversary of the inauguration of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, ICTV hosts Vadym Karpyak and Olena Frolyak interviewed the head of state and First Lady Olena Zelenska. For the first time since the start of a full-scale war.

These two interviewed them since they did the interview three years ago.

Personal note: I tried my best with the translation but can't guarantee that it is 100% correct. Since the interview was about an hour, I summarized what they said about certain topics. Again: I tried my best but can't guarantee I summarized it correctly.

About the interview three years ago.

three years ago, they met when Zelenskyy was a presidential candidate, three months in politics

back then, Zelenskyy said (asked about how he was doing in these three months): He learned that people are not what he thought they were & he started to value his family more

Zelenkyy doesn't remember these answers; the interviews say they do, and Zelenskyy jokes that "Television remembers everything"

About three years of presidency.

the interviewer mentions that Zelenskyy is the "Man Of The Year" in TIME magazine

the interviewer wants to know what Zelenskyy's experience was after three years in Ukrainian and world politics

Zelenskyy says that his values haven't changed

he admits that three years ago, he had no political or diplomatic experience, but today he understands where Ukraine belongs (and his role and job)

world politics is, for him, a place where Ukraine belongs → he truly fights for it with the Ukrainians and the army (everyone)

the war is not only a fight for territory or the whole land but also for a place in the world

they don't want to be a part of another country (an empire) because Ukraine isn't an empire → Ukraine is their own state/country and different; for example, in mentality → they don't want to be an empire, even if given a chance, because that's not who Ukraine / Ukrainians are → they are normal; they want peace, tranquillity, everyone at home & the same table → therefore, the most important thing is the place of the state

Zelenskyy says it's about diplomacy

he thinks that Ukraine's place is among equals → manifested in the European Union in various defence unions, alliances or among the guarantors of security → these will be the result of consistent policy

he's seeing these goals / this path beside the war

as a result of this policy, he gets titles like "Man Of The Year", streets/squares are named after him, and he gets medals / awards / ... → but: he doesn't think these things are about him; these things are about the Ukrainians / they are addresses to the Ukrainians / all the people who defend the state and protecting the country

he emphasizes the difference between "society" and "citizens": Ukrainians are a society; a citizen is someone who is changing their passport

he stops himself after that comment, realizing that this was not the question of the interviewer; he says "Sorry" for answering so long → admitting that this is probably also something that has changed: the length of his answers and answers, in general, have probably changed too (interviewer agrees on this)

Zelenskyy continues that many things have changed: he started to enjoy the moment - like this moment: them sitting together, with his wife next to him, a de-occupied Kyiv region, Donbas not taken

he mentions the difference in enjoying things: ordinary things that are important to him as a person and things that are important to him as a president

he's trying to get the most (positivity) out of everything - like satisfaction with the positive result of the state → he explains that he focuses on the good things because he has too → because he can't get pleasure from a blocked region/city or that people died or have to suffer,... → hence why he decided to live today (in the moment) and trying to have a positive look on things → it's something he started over the past three years after beginning to see the small things a little worse; he also began to really see the big things for the first time

Olena about not being happy that her husband would run for president and three years of the presidency for her.

she was against it because she knew that the family and both of them would face enormous challenges; they would have to fight to live (their lives)

she wanted peace for her family and both of them, hence why she didn't want these fights and challenges → but: Olena knew that he could stand his ground, and they would make it; it just would be tough → and it was indeed not easy

Olena mentioned that no one knew three years ago that the worst was yet to come

Olena about the war and her family / Zelenskyy, what has changed and their communication while she and the kids were hiding.

she says that (for her) nothing has changed, especially when it comes to her husband: he was always a reliable man, and he stayed like this; his character traits haven't changed, also not his general opinions/point of views

the family is, like all Ukrainian families, separated/divided

the interviewer mentions that "your husband was taken away by the war", to which Olena responds with a smile that "Nobody will take my husband away, not even war."

she says that he still "lives at work" (Bankova); the family hardly sees him right now

before her return, they haven't seen each other for 2 1/2 months

they were able to talk on the phone while they had to hide

after her return, she and Zelenskyy had several opportunities to meet, but not that many / they are rare → hence why Olena is grateful for his interview because to her, it means they're able to spend time together (Zelenskyy jokingly adds, "Dating on air.", Olena laughs about the joke and agrees)

she doesn't think that the family has changed a lot but thinks that maybe she has changed (she looks at Zelenskyy after that, and he replies, "You look beautiful.")

Olena says that they are holding on, everything is fine (as fine as it can be right now), and the family is still the same → kind of; because they don't have a normal family life yet, like sitting down, having dinner together or talking about all kind of things

Olena (and Zelenskyy) says that they would call each other in the evening and talk about what they would have for dinner, talk about that (Olena calls it "Dinner by the phone"), they would make jokes about the dinner situation or them eating / the food,...

Olena says that right now, they, like every Ukrainian family, are waiting to be reunited

About what Zelenskyy is most proud of after three years of presidency.

Zelenskyy says that he's most proud of the fact that Ukrainians are always respected (not only during wartime)

he always believed in the Ukrainian people

the war and the strength and union of the people are not just proof of his words or his confidence in the people, but also proof to the whole world that Ukraine has such (amazing) people → he's proud of that

the interviewer continues and wants to know what Zelenskyy considers his greatest achievement (what he has managed to achieve in the three years)

Zelenskyy struggles to answer this question, admitting that it's difficult for him to talk about himself or his steps (actions) or the steps (actions) of the people around him (his team)

he thinks that every result should be evaluated when it has reached the end (of the process) and the result is clear → that's why Zelenskyy can't say anything about the war so far because they haven't reached an end (result)

he also mentions the different perceptions within the country: for some people, it's summer / a very warm spring when they look out of the window; for some is war; the de-occupied regions say that life has returned entirely again, but there is still war in other parts of the country → so the result and assessment of what they do now, how it all started and how it will end, can only be said when it ends

the interviewer agrees with him on that (calling it "reasonable") and continues that it probably doesn't make sense to ask Zelenskyy about his biggest mistakes because no one knows yet if something Zelenskyy does will be a mistake or not (Zelenskyy answers, that the interviewer can ask about that, but the interviewer drops the topic)

About the people in Zelenskyy's life the past three years and how politics changes people.

the interviewer says again that Zelenskyy mentioned in the interview three years ago that back then, three months in politics have taught him that people may not be what he expects them to be → he continues that now his people are the most important thing to Zelenskyy, but that Zelenskyy finds himself in a situation where very few people are left with him who started his political path with him → Why did this happen?

Zelenskyy says that he thinks that this is a good thing → he explains that it means he stuck to his priorities, and in order to achieve the results he wanted to achieve, only people stayed who wanted to accomplish the same things (adding that other values do not measure their lives, but the ones that work with the desired results)

he also says that politics changes people

he doesn't like the word "nepotism", saying that just not many are like him (same values / want to achieve the same things / ...), so only the ones who would work with him stay in the end (sometimes people he knows, sometimes strangers)

he also says that war changed everything too → some people left his side and "run away": he explains that some people ran in a different direction, some distanced themself from him, some "ran abroad", and some "maybe even flee now" → he adds that these people are mainly fleeing from themselves and not Ukraine

but he also adds that some people surprised him by staying reliable or at his side (even though these people knew he would expect them to leave)

Zelenskyy says that he thinks that it is not a bad thing to show weakness

he then stops, saying that he can't talk about it in a final way because no one knows how all of this will end; adding that he thinks it will be with a victory (he thinks Ukraine will win since Day 1)

right now, everyone is following the same path, with no alternatives, and he has a clear course → when it comes to the war and Russia; there is only one course/way/understanding → but: when it comes to other topics, like the European Union, they use different paths and approaches to reach that goal, because there are many different people involved

Zelenskyy adds that it's obvious that with politics, war, values and time, people change and leave (after that, he and Olena joke with the interviewer if he expected a different answer, like Zelenskyy saying names, but the interviewer says no)

the interviewer says that on the one side, Zelenskyy says that politics changes people; on the other side, Olena said that her husband hadn't changed at all; he's wondering if Zelenskyy hasn't changed for her → Zelenskyy says that maybe not, because he's not just a politician in the end (Olena agreeing) → the interviewer asks if Zelenskyy doesn't feel like one; Zelenskyy replies that he feels like a president; the interviewer responds that this is probably an advantage right now

About the war and how it will end.

the interviewer remembers Zeleskyy's words during his inauguration speech about wanting to end the war, adding that Zelenskyy said in the past that he believed it could end in a diplomatic way → the interviewer continues that now, with a war happening right now, it's clear that it did not end and Ukraine will not diplomatically win this war, only on the battlefield → the interviewer wants to know when Zelenskyy realized this / felt this and why the war will not end diplomatically

Zelenskyy isn't sure if he can say when he felt this and is not going to answer that question right now; but he understood it exactly when he had that understanding of what choice he made, what he was dealing with and what he was preparing for → he thinks that this isn't the answer so far; but he realizes that the meaning of his words have changed

Zelenskyy repeats that while they haven't started that war, they have to end it

he remembers that he honestly thought they could stop it with pure dialogue → that they could find answers and solutions and make decisions with Russia → now he understands that the graduations will also be diplomatic, but not wholly (he compares this to a hybrid car - there are two sides/parts and war is difficult and so will be victory) → it will be bloody, there will be battles, but the ending will definitely be in diplomacy, because there are some things that, apart from the negotiating table, they will not be able to finish → Ukraine wants everything back, but Russia doesn't want to give anything → therefore, Ukraine doesn't want to give them anything → so this will be the end of the war, and they need to find a diplomatic solution

About the days leading to the invasion.

the interviewer recalls that in the days before the war, Zelenskyy seemed a bit nervous when Western intelligence strongly recommended preparing for the invasion and said it would be difficult, and Zelenskyy "down-playing" it and advised to "not panic" and "we have everything under control" → the interviewer wants to know if Zelenskyy really believed that Russia would not start a war

Zelenskyy said that everyone was used to living in a constant war, and it was always a hybrid (war and diplomacy)

Zelenskyy says that they understood where the attacks would come from, already experienced some, like cyberattacks → but he doesn't want to talk endlessly about it because everyone knows what happened and what the pressure was because things happened long before the invasion

he says that they understood that one way or another, they needed to be prepared → but: no one really understood fully the extent or impudence of what would come (he gives examples like it's one thing if tanks leave Belarus but another if Russia will attack Ukraine through Belarus and rockets flying specifically from Belarus - it's a small difference, but it's a difference) → he empathizes that it's a big difference if you're at war with two countries or with a country that uses another country to attack you → therefore no one knew until the end what was happening and it could all be untrue, no matter what intelligence says, because no one knew the details

Zelenskyy says that despite all this that everyone was preparing for various events and training for them → different intelligence agencies of partner countries had their training and their warnings → but: no one had/possessed more details than Ukraine → and they didn't expect anything bigger than what they were told

Zelenskyy mentions that this is a topic you could talk about for hours and finish his thoughts by saying that he thinks everything started back in September / October → back then they saw what was happening, they prepared, and they saw the messages and steps (like the first shortages),... → he also adds that of course, you could also start in 2014, but when talking about the full-scale invasion, he would start talking about it in September / October 2021

About February 24.

Zelenskyy said when the invasion happened, they were at home; it was 4 am

Olena says she remembers waking up to strange sounds outside the window (like most Ukrainians), and it was still dark; she saw that Zelenskyy wasn't lying next to her, and she found him fully dressed in the next room; she asked him what was going and he only said "it has begun"; she says it's hard to describe the emotions in this situation, it's horror and numbness; after that Zelenskyy left and she understood that this situation was like a tightrope for him and they immediately realized that life had changed forever

Olena says she lives for the moment (will start to live again) when he says to her, "It's over! Victory!" → she adds that she will probably not be the first one he talks to because he's always at work right now, but she wants to hear it with everyone else, at least on TV (Olena asks if he can / wants to add anything)

Zelenskyy says he was ready and leaving when Olena woke up and got calls / a signal a little earlier when the shots started → everyone was prepared and ready, so the moment they realized it started, he got a signal, a call and went to work

Zelenskyy mentions he doesn't remember much, only one thing clearly (adding that Olena already said everything): that he told his wife that the kids need to be explained everything, they need to be told that war has started (like it's something normal) and there is no need to come up with anything else, and everyone should understand how to behave

Zelenskyy says he also remembers coming home very late the night before because he had a meeting with the National Security and Defense Council (they discussed the issues and all the paperwork and structures that they needed to prepare) → he says that they understood that if it starts the state has to work like one organism and they have to ensure several things (like the National Bank still working, state reserve,...) → they prepared things in advance, so everything would be "safe" because they understood the risks (he then adds that he thinks the meeting was the day before, but can't remember/isn't sure about it)

the interviewer asks about the children and if Olena was able to explain everything to the children

Olena says that she needed an explanation when she woke them up that early and told them to pack a case → she says the children surprised her → Olena says she tried to be energetic and cheerful and pretended as if nothing was really happening, and the children somehow disciplined followed all her instructions and gathered quickly

after a while, the children realized that they didn't know when they would see their father again, and they cried several times

she adds that they're still doing well - like her father: they know that he will endure, and so they will endure

About how prepared the Ukrainian military was.

the interviewer wants to know how ready the military was since it was quite a surprise how fast Russia occupied regions / moved toward Kyiv

Zelenskyy says that Russia used all amount of forces / absolutely everything, even reserves (Zelenskyy's team calls it "the silent mobilization" since you can only do mobilization when you're at war and Russia did a "military operation")

Russia transferred a lot of troops with a concentration in Crimea and Belarus → the focus was on different areas, and so nothing happened along the borders... (he explains the Russian movements)

Zelenskyy says that he thinks that Russia really had a big volume and that no European country would be able to cope with such a volume today

he says that they're small in comparison to Russia, and when a huge army attacks, you can't concentrate all your forces in one area (like Kyiv, for example) → they need to provide air defence, tanks, equipment, infantry fighting vehicles,... everywhere

(Zelenskyy gives a lengthy explanation about the troops' strengths and how they evolved and were assembled)

Zelenskyy says that right now, 700,000 people are fighting for Ukraine

he mentioned NATO briefly and that they would have important weapons that could help / could have helped Ukraine (for example, with air defence)

Zelensky says that the chaos caused by the many people fleeing also helped the enemy in the first few days

nevertheless, he thinks, in retrospect, that they prepared well

he finishes by saying that despite everything, all the analysts thought Russia would capture them in two or three days → this was based on what the analysts knew, but they did not know everything / all the details (the interviewer adds that now the military analysts will have to revise their methodology)

Zelenskyy says again that everything was prepared, and they understood everything very well, but there were problems → they sent out requests for money because they knew they had to change from Soviet weapons to NATO models, but you can't do this if you're not a member of NATO because you're not given licenses and are not sold anything

Ukraine was told to "dig trenches", but Zelenskyy says that it's not possible to win such a war with the shovel, so he told them to give Ukraine weapons

About Mariupol / Azovstal.

all of them are heroic people

it's not only National Guard but also Border Guards, paratroopers, police officers, SBU representatives, medics, military medics and local people

they all defended Mariupol

a lot of pilots died → they tried to fly into Azovstal to bring them medicine, food, water and pick up bodies and wounded people

a lot of things were happening, and no one was talking about it because there were no official air corridors to Azovstal because Russia had air superiority

Zelenskyy says they were doing far more than just saying, "Help us and close the sky." / having conversations

the Russians were also afraid because they saw the losses

it was not only a question about planes but also about air defence and Russian missiles → that's why it was not possible to approach Mariupol

90% of (helicopter) pilots died → they knew it would most likely be a suicide mission, but they wanted to help the people in Azovstal

Zelenskyy hopes that when people talk about Azovstal, they will talk about all the people involved

all civilians who were blocked at the plant have been taken out so far → evacuation of other civilians, those who were near the plant or in Mariupol, were taken out long ago

civilian medics were evacuated

the (seriously) wounded were evacuated

Zelenskyy thinks that in the near future, maybe in the coming days, everyone will be evacuated

Ukraine agreed that the unblocking would be done by Western mediators and partners → he negotiated with Turkey, Switzerland, and Israel → first with France because of the leaders' relations with Russia when they saw that it was impossible to unblock by military means

he talked dozens and hundreds of times with leaders of other countries to get weapons so they could reach Mariupol by military means to unblock the city → he says that many people wanted to go, knowing it might be a suicide mission, but a lot of heroic people wanted to help

Zelenskyy says that the people in Azovstal have every right to go out (surrender) and save their lives → the military command has informed them that they can do this

the mediators, along with the countries he talked about, were UN representatives (something he organized with Guterres)

the Red Cross is also involved in the evacuations

Zelenskyy says that after everyone was evacuated to Russian territory, now the diplomacy has to work → he wants to bring all the people from Azovstal home

About meeting with Putin and talking with Russia.

the interviewer asks what's the purpose of such a meeting and if Zelenskyy thinks such a meeting can end the war

Zelenskyy says it depends on when they would meet because the goal is changing since it's a constantly changing (hybrid) war → he says if they met today, he would want to talk about Mariupol too, but in some months, this may no longer be an issue (he gives other examples too) → the situation can be a completely different in some months hence why he can't say precisely what they would talk about → he could predict what they might do and what the outcome will be, but it's just looking into the future and has nothing to do with reality → today they would talk about the exchange, de-occupation and peace, stopping the war

Zelenskyy says that some points may change, but some things were also topics from the start → they know that many things depend on them, but also on Russia / what Russia does → without talking to them, they can just look at the current status (he elaborates on this further)

they want the territories back, and they want to end this war; they have desires and goals → but: how it will be and when it will be, depends on the time of the conversation with Putin

Zelenskyy strongly believes that a conversation between Ukraine and Russia will take place, but they do not know in what format (with or without intermediaries, in a broad circle, at the level of the president or a two-way conversation,...)

he adds that the security guarantees are a very important subject to them, not only a paper this time, but something that exists in reality → they are the basis of security of the state and society of Ukraine

they are considering a range of security guarantees with trusted partner countries, and they are currently developing a project with them → the main problem is that right now, they like some things Ukraine doesn't like and the other way around → basically: Ukrainians want too much and Europeans being too sceptical → Zeleskyy is sure that somewhere in the middle they will find an answer → emphasizing that this answer is essential because Ukraine needs the parliaments of the guarantor countries to vote for this document and give it ratification

its an international agreement Ukraine needs / they want a separate agreement → this agreement provides for a circle of partner states around Ukraine without Russia; security guarantors without Russia

Zelenskyy said that Bucha changed some things as well as time (not only how Ukraine wins but also how Russia behaves)

Zelenskyy says it's important who is ready to sit at the negotiating table and who isn't / who wants to sit down and who will never sit down

they have to adapt to changing situations and times when they talk about agreements

Zelenskyy thinks it's also important to have separate bilateral conversations with Russia / Putin

he doesn't know what will happen after signing the agreement; they have to see → what happens afterwards also depends on what they will discover/see/how Russia behaves

Zelenskyy says again that there will be exchange to get the captured people from Azovstal back

he says again that a lot depends on how Russia will act in the future, for example, what happens with the planned exchange

in the end, he says this also applies to the situation in Donbass

About if Olena writes/edits her husband's speeches and the video addresses in general.

no, Olena is not editing them → she thinks she also wouldn't be able to do it any longer because there are so many (big) topics that she wouldn't physically have time to edit everything → she also doesn't want to do it

they still talk/argue about literary things, but she admits that sometimes she doesn't have/know enough "tricks"

they talk about the speeches afterwards, but she doesn't see them in advance

Olena thinks that she has other "missions" (projects/things to do)

she admits that his team is doing it really well

she is not sure if Zelenskyy sees the finished speeches very early, but he tells the speechwriters what he wants (to talk about) in his addresses → but: no one writes him the complete speeches → Olena mentions again that this is the reason she can't help much, because it's his opinions and not hers → she might be able to help with arranging them somehow, but it would take her much longer than his assistants

the interviewer asks Zelenskyy if it is difficult to give them every night

it's important to him to not just speak to others and to understand what he's doing → but he's not a robot and doesn't have time to write the whole text → it's important for him that all his thoughts are conveyed and what the idea of the speech was

his team is small, and it's usually just him and maybe one, maximum two more people → he says more is not needed because also many people have many different opinions (which would not be helpful in this case)

the interviewer acknowledges that everyone on the table agrees that the speeches are work but wonders how Zelenskyy copes with the fact that sometimes there is nothing special to say because he still needs to say something in the evening

Zelenskyy says that he works every day and doesn't rest, hence why he always has something to say, but sometimes there really is nothing to say when nothing happens → for him this means happiness because no news is good news

he also says that at the same time, other things are coming up he needs to talk about

Zelenskyy explains that another thing is the psychological effect of his speeches: it is important to show that he's still there, like everyone else

he thinks that people would absolutely be able to live without his speeches for some days, but it would raise questions (Where did the president go? What is happening in the country? Is something wrong?...) → this would destabilize the situation, hence why he sometimes needs to talk to the people even if there is nothing to talk about, but it's still essential to reach out to the people (at least until victory)

About the psychological side of war, Olena's work and Ukrainian women.

Olena says that she always highly valued the Ukrainian women and thinks they are the best

women are everywhere: in the armed forces, as volunteers, in medicine, as teachers,...

in addition, women are entrusted with many other things that they have to do outside of their professional activities → taking care of children → this system is now broken: everyone needs to be fed, everyone needs to be taught lessons,...

Olena believes that after a victory, everyone will also remember the heroism of the Ukrainian women

she thinks as a result of the war, people will not allow not to change the standards for the difference in wages →they dealt with these issues before the war, and Olena thinks that after the war, they will return to it and then it will no longer be just a topic for discussion, but a necessity, to show that everyone won together

another important topic is health

Olena is currently starting a big project: a national program for psychological health for Ukrainians → almost everyone gets psychological pressure, and almost everyone can have psychological problems during the war and after it

some parts of the population are most affected by the war: children, the elderly, people who have lost their homes / loved ones, military returning from war → Olena mentions that the post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) probably awaits a larger number of people

she recognizes that if they do not do something for everyone, this could lead to big bad consequences, not necessarily after the war but perhaps in 10 years or beyond

the WHO supports the project, and they receive help from different countries like USA or Israel since they have certain knowledge and experience

the first part of the project is to find ways how the already existing programs can / would work in Ukraine → they need to understand the critical points on which they have to focus first

she mentions that mental health is a big topic in the world right now, which helps → Ukraine has to face a double struggle: after Corona, people now have to deal with a war → therefore, Ukraine needs as much of the world's assistance and work in this direction as possible

the project includes all women since, in most cases, they suffer the most - even if they do not suffer physically, many people suffer psychologically → therefore, they want to take care of each other and women first

About victory.

the interviewer said that in his last interview with Zelenskyy in April, he mentioned that the demarcation line, as of February 23, before the full-scale invasion, could be considered a victory → What's now a victory for Zelenskyy?

Zelenskyy says that different parts of the population have different ideas about this → he thinks that the most valuable thing is to save as many people as possible (acknowledging that he knows that the military people are very brave and ready to give their lives and he knows that this is Ukraine's great value and treasure)

he thinks that people shouldn't be too greedy right now → but: he knows that justice is when everything is taken back, and he strongly believes that Ukraine will definitely turn the situation around, but he thinks today's issue is to save people

Zelenskyy knows that Russia is not ready to just give something away since there is land they have occupied, and there is land where Russia has already been for a long time → hence why Zelenskyy thinks that reaching the line that was before February 24 without unnecessary losses is a victory for Ukraine right now → he knows that would mean not all territories would be returned to Ukraine, but the situation is not easy, and they have to look at the price they have to pay for war and de-occupation → but in the end, everything will turn around for Ukraine

Zelenskyy says that they have already broken one of the largest / strongest armies in the world - physical as well as psychological → he mentioned that Russia would not recover for many years → but: Zelenskyy says that people shouldn't forget that the (Ukrainian) military wants to live → that's why it's important to him that everyone understands the value of each of these difficult steps and the price of each step both forward and backward, because stepping back is not easy, because it's expensive (costs a lot of lives)

he mentioned again that demarcation would be a victory → it would indicate that Russia did not capture them and that Ukraine was able to defend their land → after that, they could move to the second part: talking at the negotiating table → that's what he hopes for and that the result of this conversation will be final justice

the interviewer wonders how Ukraine can win but not lose → Zelenskyy says that if you win, you do not lose

About Ukraine being the centre of the world right now and why the victory is important for Ukraine's future.

Zelenskyy knows that Ukraine is in the centre of the world's attention right now and doesn't want to lose this status because they "paid" a lot for it

he says again that this is why people should never forget the values of these losses

he explains that Russia didn't realize that in reaction to Nazism, the whole world would be united to achieve victory

he recaps that humans have no value in Russia, talking about how Russia pretended no corpses existed at the beginning of the war, only admitting it slowly and taking the bodies back very slow and not that many

he says again that people shouldn't get "dizzy" about victories or Ukraine right now → people should never forget the human value; victories can only be temporary (for Russia)

he says again that they will get back all the territories because it's their land

but the most important thing is the truth

he says that right now, it's "fashionable" to be Ukraine, and there is a lot of respect for Ukrainians, no matter if they fight or are somewhere abroad - all Ukrainians are heroes to people from the outside → he says it's nice that they are greeted with respect, and so many people ask if they can help and it's essential not to lose this modernity because it's a manifestation of Ukraine as a nation

Zelenskyy says that this war is a war they can not lose because it's not a war against Russia, but a war with Russia for Ukraine

Ukraine is fighting for their own, and this is a very strong position → this is a war for Ukraine's independence, which cannot be lost, because of Ukraine's freedom and sovereignty

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