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Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine, War, Peace, Putin, Trump, NATO, and Freedom | Lex Fridman Podcast #456

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine. This episode is available in English, Ukrainian, and Russian. Captions and voice-over audio tracks are provided in English, Ukrainian, Russian, and the original mixed-language version, with subtitles available in your preferred language. To listen to the original mixed language version, please select the English (UK) audio track audio track. The default is English overdub. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep456-sb See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *Transcript:* https://lexfridman.com/volodymyr-zelenskyy-transcript *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* President Zelenskyy's X: https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa President Zelenskyy's Instagram: https://instagram.com/zelenskyy_official President Zelenskyy's Website: https://www.president.gov.ua/ *SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *Notion:* Note-taking and team collaboration. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/notion-ep456-sb *GitHub:* Developer platform and AI code editor. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/github-ep456-sb *AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/ag1-ep456-sb *LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep456-sb *Eight Sleep:* Temp-controlled smart mattress cover. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/eight_sleep-ep456-sb *BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/betterhelp-ep456-sb *OUTLINE:* 0:00 - Introduction 3:29 - Introductory words from Lex 13:55 - Language 23:44 - World War II 40:32 - Invasion on Feb 24, 2022 47:07 - Negotiating Peace 1:07:24 - NATO and security guarantees 1:20:17 - Sitting down with Putin and Trump 1:39:47 - Compromise and leverage 1:45:15 - Putin and Russia 1:55:07 - Donald Trump 2:05:39 - Martial Law and Elections 2:17:58 - Corruption 2:26:44 - Elon Musk 2:30:47 - Trump Inauguration on Jan 20 2:33:55 - Power dynamics in Ukraine 2:37:27 - Future of Ukraine 2:42:09 - Choice of language 2:51:39 - Podcast prep and research process 3:00:04 - Travel and setup 3:05:51 - Conclusion *PODCAST LINKS:* - Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast - Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr - Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 - RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ - Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 - Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips *SOCIAL LINKS:* - X: https://x.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://instagram.com/lexfridman - TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://facebook.com/lexfridman - Patreon: https://patreon.com/lexfridman - Telegram: https://t.me/lexfridman - Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/lexfridman

Lex Fridman (English voice-over / interpreter)hostVolodymyr Zelenskyyguest
Jan 5, 20253h 6mWatch on YouTube ↗

Episode Details

EPISODE INFO

Released
January 5, 2025
Duration
3h 6m
Channel
Lex Fridman Podcast
Watch on YouTube
▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine. This episode is available in English, Ukrainian, and Russian. Captions and voice-over audio tracks are provided in English, Ukrainian, Russian, and the original mixed-language version, with subtitles available in your preferred language. To listen to the original mixed language version, please select the English (UK) audio track audio track. The default is English overdub. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep456-sb See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *Transcript:* https://lexfridman.com/volodymyr-zelenskyy-transcript *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* President Zelenskyy's X: https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa President Zelenskyy's Instagram: https://instagram.com/zelenskyy_official President Zelenskyy's Website: https://www.president.gov.ua/ *SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *Notion:* Note-taking and team collaboration. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/notion-ep456-sb *GitHub:* Developer platform and AI code editor. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/github-ep456-sb *AG1:* All-in-one daily nutrition drinks. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/ag1-ep456-sb *LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep456-sb *Eight Sleep:* Temp-controlled smart mattress cover. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/eight_sleep-ep456-sb *BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/betterhelp-ep456-sb *OUTLINE:* 0:00 - Introduction 3:29 - Introductory words from Lex 13:55 - Language 23:44 - World War II 40:32 - Invasion on Feb 24, 2022 47:07 - Negotiating Peace 1:07:24 - NATO and security guarantees 1:20:17 - Sitting down with Putin and Trump 1:39:47 - Compromise and leverage 1:45:15 - Putin and Russia 1:55:07 - Donald Trump 2:05:39 - Martial Law and Elections 2:17:58 - Corruption 2:26:44 - Elon Musk 2:30:47 - Trump Inauguration on Jan 20 2:33:55 - Power dynamics in Ukraine 2:37:27 - Future of Ukraine 2:42:09 - Choice of language 2:51:39 - Podcast prep and research process 3:00:04 - Travel and setup 3:05:51 - Conclusion *PODCAST LINKS:*

*SOCIAL LINKS:*

SPEAKERS

  • Lex Fridman (English voice-over / interpreter)

    host
  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy

    guest

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Lex Fridman Podcast, featuring Lex Fridman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy: Ukraine, War, Peace, Putin, Trump, NATO, and Freedom | Lex Fridman Podcast #456 explores zelenskyy and Fridman debate war, peace, Trump, Putin, NATO, future Lex Fridman interviews Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv about Russia’s invasion, the human cost of war, paths to peace, and Ukraine’s political future. They dive deeply into ceasefire scenarios involving Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the role of NATO and U.S. security guarantees, and why Zelenskyy believes strength must precede any negotiations. Zelenskyy defends Ukraine’s record on corruption and aid usage, pushes back on Russian propaganda, and explains how language, history, and personal loss shape his stance. The episode is framed by Lex’s reflections on language, translation, and his goal of using conversations—even with adversaries—to push toward peace.

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