The Diary of a CEOPresident Zelenskyy: It's Time To Tell You The Truth About This War! I Found 500 Bodies!
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 6:15
Zelenskyy’s emotional state: “It’s hard… I don’t sleep”
Zelenskyy answers directly how he’s coping, describing constant strain, lack of sleep, and the feeling of surviving alongside the entire country. He contrasts inner pain with the need to keep hope alive for Ukrainians facing daily loss.
- •Admits the war’s burden is overwhelming and constant
- •Hope as a necessity for endurance during wartime
- •Acknowledges others’ suffering is often greater than his own
- •Early recollection of the invasion day as a reference point for the trauma
- 6:15 – 9:53
The human toll of leadership: meeting bereaved families and honoring fallen soldiers
He explains the most psychologically devastating moments: awarding honors to parents who lost children in the military and witnessing their grief up close. Zelenskyy frames this as a uniquely unbearable part of his role—one that never becomes routine.
- •Describes presenting Hero of Ukraine awards to grieving parents
- •The intimacy of loss: parents asking for a hug during ceremonies
- •Distinguishes between expecting risk and living through loss
- •Rejects shame about emotion, insists he is still human
- 9:53 – 11:24
What keeps him going: children, example-setting, and refusing to hide pain
Zelenskyy identifies his children as his anchor and explains why he tries to model courage without emotional denial. He frames vulnerability as both a human weakness and a source of strength.
- •Kids as the primary source of motivation and grounding
- •Leadership as moral example for family and society
- •Strength isn’t emotional numbness; pain should not be hidden
- •War-time resilience as an active daily choice
- 11:24 – 13:47
Growing up between two worlds: Soviet childhood and independent Ukraine
He describes being born in the Soviet Union and coming of age in an independent Ukraine, shaping his understanding of identity and freedom. He emphasizes ordinary family roots, education, and values learned from his parents.
- •Personal identity shaped by Soviet-to-independence transition
- •Ordinary academic household; father as professor
- •Gratitude for education, upbringing, and parental love
- •Children born in independence experience clearer national identity
- 13:47 – 15:51
From law student to comedian: finding a calling in media and performance
Zelenskyy recounts changing ambitions frequently, studying law, and then gravitating toward media and comedy—initially more as a writer than an actor. The chapter highlights his rise through entertainment and public recognition.
- •Early ambitions: diplomat/border guard; studied law
- •Shift from law to media and comedy
- •Work as scriptwriter, then performer, then company founder
- •Public profile milestones (e.g., Dancing with the Stars, voice acting)
- 15:51 – 20:20
‘Servant of the People’ becomes real: why politics felt unavoidable
He explains how portraying a teacher-turned-president reflected a broader public mood and his own changing perspective after Russia’s actions in 2014. He rejects the idea that it was a perfectly calculated plan, describing it instead as converging circumstances.
- •TV concept: an outsider ‘from the people’ becomes president
- •Popularity of political satire and growing political awareness
- •Crimea/Donbas occupation changed his worldview and priorities
- •Insists party creation wasn’t a scripted strategy, but a societal alignment
- 20:20 – 22:43
When the war really started: Crimea 2014 and the ‘creeping occupation’
Zelenskyy argues the war began with the occupation of Crimea, which unfolded gradually and ambiguously through “little green men” and lack of clear Ukrainian orders to resist. He frames the failure to push back early as a pivotal mistake.
- •Defines 2014 Crimea as the true start of the war
- •Ambiguity tactics: disguised troops, denial of responsibility
- •Ukraine’s lack of clear defense orders enabled escalation
- •Belief that early resistance could have prevented full-scale invasion
- 22:43 – 24:54
Family history and Russia’s ‘Nazi’ narrative: why the accusation is personal
He discusses relatives killed by Nazis and Ukraine’s historic experience of total occupation during WWII. Zelenskyy calls Russia’s “denazification” justification absurd given Ukraine’s direct suffering and anti-fascist history.
- •Grandfather served through WWII; family members killed by Nazis
- •Ukraine’s deep historical memory of fascist occupation
- •Rejects Russia’s claim that Ukraine is “Nazi” as propaganda
- •Notes Ukraine/Belarus were fully occupied; Russia was not
- 24:54 – 33:19
Explaining Putin’s worldview to a 16-year-old: empire, collapse, and nostalgia
Zelenskyy outlines how empires hold power through control and why the Soviet Union collapsed as nations sought freedom. He argues Putin’s project is restoring the Soviet empire, with Ukraine as the central target because of its identity, talent base, and strategic value.
- •Empires depend on tyranny/information control; collapse when people seek freedom
- •Putin’s Soviet nostalgia and KGB background as drivers
- •Ukraine’s strategic and cultural importance to the USSR/Russia
- •Language and identity used as a pretext to divide and justify aggression
- 33:19 – 42:48
Why a full-scale invasion in 2022: history denial, diplomacy, and missed deterrence
Zelenskyy disputes Putin’s historical claims and explains that Russia aimed to seize Kyiv quickly. He describes warnings, skepticism among partners, and his belief that preemptive sanctions and faster military aid could have reduced the risk.
- •Rejects Putin’s framing of Ukraine as a post-1917 creation
- •Russia’s central objective: capturing Kyiv and decapitating leadership
- •Partners doubted invasion due to Russian bluffing and Belarus ‘exercises’
- •Critiques lack of preemptive sanctions and urgent weapons deliveries
- 42:48 – 48:54
The invasion day: leaving family, reaching the office, and working from the bunker
He recounts receiving nighttime alerts, telling his wife and children the war had begun, and rushing to his office to coordinate the defense. Zelenskyy describes the bunker, communications setup, and the early information war claiming he had fled.
- •Immediate shift from normal life to wartime command
- •Rapid separation from family for security and continuity of leadership
- •Bunker-based coordination with world leaders and military
- •Countering Russian disinformation by appearing publicly in Kyiv
- 48:54 – 1:12:01
Why Kyiv held: troop positioning, volunteers, the convoy, and rejecting evacuation
Zelenskyy explains how Ukraine’s strongest forces were initially concentrated in the east, leaving Kyiv vulnerable, and how mass mobilization changed the balance. He recounts Biden’s evacuation offer and his decision to stay as critical for morale and resistance.
- •Initial vulnerability: Ukrainian forces concentrated in Donbas
- •Mobilization expanded forces dramatically; volunteers reshaped defense
- •Russia underestimated resistance and lacked manpower to hold territory
- •Biden’s offer and the quote: “I need ammunition, not a ride”
- 1:12:01 – 1:15:08
Hostomel and the battle for logistics: stopping Russia’s air-bridge into Kyiv
He describes the pivotal fight for Hostomel (Antonov) Airport, where Russia sought to land large forces and cut off Kyiv. The back-and-forth battle, runway destruction, and Ukrainian counterattacks helped prevent a rapid takeover.
- •Russia’s plan: seize airports, TV towers, and supply routes to strangle Kyiv
- •Hostomel as a critical landing zone for a large airborne assault
- •Ukrainian countermeasures: runway destruction, air defense, rapid response
- •Hostomel’s outcome as decisive in preventing Kyiv’s fall
- 1:15:08 – 1:23:35
Bucha and the limits of compromise: atrocities, justice, and the ‘ceasefire’ dilemma
Zelenskyy details what was discovered after liberating towns near Kyiv—mass graves, torture, and indiscriminate killings—focusing on Bucha as the moment everything changed. He argues that calls for easy compromise ignore the reality of atrocities and the need for justice before lasting peace.
- •Liberation revealed torture, executions, and mass graves
- •Bucha as personal and national turning point; intensified hatred and grief
- •Insists forgiveness cannot be forced; justice is essential for stability
- •Frames ceasefire as a major compromise, not a simple diplomatic step
- 1:23:35 – 1:31:53
How the war changed him: loneliness, family distance, parenting during conflict
He reflects on irreversible personal change, including loneliness, constant focus on work, and longing for ordinary life. Zelenskyy describes his relationship with his wife and children, and how time with family has become both rarer and more meaningful.
- •Irreversible shift in values; primary dream is ending the war
- •Tension between presidential duties and emotional presence with family
- •Marriage as mutual support; emphasis on respect and shared interest
- •Children ‘growing up during war’ as a national tragedy
- 1:31:53 – 1:33:06
His mother’s daily calls: the private side of a public wartime role
Zelenskyy shares a humanizing routine: his mother calls every day, repeatedly, until he answers. The exchange shows how even the president is treated as a son first, and how family anxiety mirrors the nation’s uncertainty.
- •Mother calls daily and persists through missed calls
- •Her questions: his health, the kids, and when the war will end
- •Shows constant worry inside ordinary Ukrainian families
- •Illustrates emotional strain behind leadership responsibilities
- 1:33:06 – 1:39:24
Where the war stands now: occupied territories, missile strikes, and Putin’s demands
Zelenskyy maps the approximate 18–19% of Ukraine under occupation and describes constant drone/missile attacks across the country. He explains what Russia claims to want territorially and why further withdrawals without security guarantees would be dangerous.
- •Rough estimate of occupied territory and key regions affected
- •Ongoing nationwide strikes, including areas far from the front
- •Russia’s stated territorial demands and strategic economic targets
- •Security guarantees (e.g., NATO) vs. risks of further concessions
- 1:39:24 – 1:45:48
Nuclear fears, Trump’s accusations, and why Zelenskyy calls a ceasefire a trap
He addresses nuclear escalation concerns, arguing Putin is unlikely to risk total isolation but remains dangerous. Zelenskyy then challenges Trump’s claims about diesel/refineries and argues Ukraine strikes energy targets in retaliation, insisting blame is being shifted from Russia to Ukraine.
- •Assesses nuclear risk as possible but strategically unlikely for Putin
- •Disputes claims about Russian diesel exports affecting US prices
- •Explains retaliation logic: Russia hits Ukraine’s grid; Ukraine hits energy revenue
- •Argues it’s unfair to blame Ukraine for Russia’s aggression
- 1:45:48 – 1:49:57
How this ends: leverage on Putin, sanctions, and Zelenskyy’s message to America
Zelenskyy claims Trump could pressure Putin if he applied the same tough rhetoric and tools—especially sanctions—toward Moscow. He closes with gratitude to Americans and a wish for peace and stability amid global conflict.
- •Belief that US pressure/sanctions could force genuine negotiations
- •Questions why Trump criticizes Ukraine more than Putin
- •Reiterates ceasefire must come with security guarantees and accountability
- •Final appeal: gratitude to America and hope for peace and strength
