Zelensky’s Press Secretary Reveals All: Cocaine, Cover-ups, and the Only Obstacle Preventing Peace

0:04Thank you for doing this. Um, I'm amazed. I never thought I would speak to anyone around Zelenskyy, so and I and I knew you were doing this at some great risk to yourself. So, thank you very much. So, you were uh President Zelenskyy's press secretary.

0:18>> Yes, [snorts] first of all, thank you for having me and I never expected to see myself here talking about my former boss, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

0:26I used to work for him for 2 years since 2019 till 2021.

0:32>> How did you wind up working for him?

0:34>> Uh >> [sighs] >> well, uh Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced uh the job via Facebook and everybody started applying and I didn't want to apply first because I thought he would take someone, you know, nepotically.

0:48>> Yes.

0:49>> [laughter] >> But, um there was an open application and I went through 4,000 of applicants.

0:55Um, it's not a joke.

0:57And then actually I need to prove myself that I can do a job and that he can trust me, but uh yeah, we found the common ground and I think I was very faithful towards him, you know.

1:07>> Yes.

1:08>> And um I supported him and I supported him in 2022 when Russia made its large-scale invasion.

1:18As millions of Ukrainians, I was grateful that he stayed in the country.

1:21>> Yes.

1:22>> That's why it's so so strange and desperate for me to be here and to talk who he really is. I don't have personal data, but I believe that he is one of the biggest obstacles towards peace today.

1:35So, I wanted to tell the people who he is.

1:39>> Who is he?

1:40>> [sighs] >> First of all, he's not a person whom you see on camera.

1:47He's a very different person. He changes masks all the time. He's emotionally uncontrollable.

1:53>> [snorts] [sighs] >> Emotionally uncontrollable?

1:57>> Yeah, he doesn't control his emotions.

1:59He's often hysterical and he thinks that every person is disposable.

2:06He doesn't have empathy that he plays.

2:09>> [snorts] >> He's absolutely insanely great actor and that brought us a lot of support in 2022.

2:16But his acting doesn't have any substance and everything that he is saying it's so detached from the reality.

2:24>> Yeah.

2:24>> Majority of the things that he's saying it's either manipulation or it's a fact that is being taken from the context. Or it's a pure lies.

2:33And millions of people still believe that supporting Zelensky means supporting Ukraine. But today it's different.

2:41>> [snorts] >> And Tucker, I would like to say you I'm not here to justify Russian invasion.

2:46I'm not here to justify Putin. What Russian army is doing in Ukraine equals crimes against humanity.

2:52>> Yes.

2:53>> But this war is not black and white anymore. It's dark and even darker.

2:58We just see Putin as an evil.

3:00But Zelensky is also an evil. He's just a hidden one. He plays such a teddy bear, you know, on camera. But then when the light goes off, he's a grizzly bear and he destroys the people.

3:13It's almost surreal to recollect that almost every Western leader and Western delegations that were coming to Ukraine before the war, they treated Zelensky as a political novice. They saw he was low educated, unqualified and low depths.

3:27But then overnight he just turned into this great face of democracy.

3:32>> Yes.

3:33>> But it feels like the West created the myth, fell into it and you know, doesn't see doesn't that the West keeps ignoring the fact that this beneath that Zelensky's rhetoric heroic rhetoric, he keeps accumulating power.

3:49And I'm not afraid to say he keeps hollowing the very same people he claims to save.

3:56It's pretty strong to say. I know that.

4:00But I believe that you know, people need to understand that if you want to support Ukraine, the only way to support Ukraine today is to push for the peace deal.

4:11This is the only way that Ukraine can survive because I believe we are on the verge of extinction. Somebody is talking about 2 3 years of war anymore. It just like doesn't come up with numbers, with demography, with anything, with all those suffering that's happening in the country.

4:29>> [snorts] >> Tell me No, no, no. Thank you. Thank you for saying that. I I agree. I'm not Ukrainian. But I I don't understand the point of this.

4:38I mean I many questions about how and why it started, but what's beyond question is Ukraine as a nation is being eliminated. That's obvious to me.

4:46Biggest country in Europe. So it's a big deal. What are since you mentioned numbers, what are how many people live in Ukraine? So when you started working for Zelensky, you worked for the government of Ukraine in 2019, how many Ukrainians were there in Ukraine?

4:59[snorts] >> So officially Ukraine is the country of 40 42 million people, but we had the last census, I think in 2000 or 2001, and we did not manage to organize another one. So when I was working for the government, government officials, including Zelensky, were telling the numbers that they believed there are 34 37 millions of Ukrainians in the country.

5:22>> [snorts] >> Now with around 10 or plus 10 plus million of Ukrainians turning into a refugees going to the west, some staying occupation, you know, eastern countries, and even some in Russia, perhaps there are around 25 million in the Ukrainians in the country. And the worst thing is that 11 million of them are retired people. And these retired people live for the pensions from 75 to 180 to 100 dollars per month.

5:54And, Ukraine is not that super cheap country where you can actually survive for this money.

6:00Just two weeks or three weeks ago, there was a terrible story.

6:05When one director, movie director of Ukraine, who was a retired person, died at his home. And, his neighbor wrote that he died from hunger and cold.

6:15There were the severe temperatures in Ukraine, and he didn't have anyone to help him. I just like wonder if ever we will know the statistics how many people died from this cold and from having no opportunities to survive.

6:29>> saying that the Ukraine right now has maybe 15 million, maybe fewer working people, working people actually who are who are working in the entire country.

6:41>> Well, you don't count children. Children are not working, right? So, I don't know how many children under 18 are there.

6:48But, perhaps if we have around 10 million of working people, that would be fine.

6:53>> Wow, that's amazing.

6:54>> Yes.

6:54>> How many have died in the war, do you know?

6:57>> The numbers are very different, and it's very difficult to count. Right now, the official UN verified statistics is around 15,000 of civilians. The numbers of of of those who turned into military are not known. So, it's very hard to know. But, only in Mariupol, it is known that there are graves for around 20,000 of Ukrainians. So, I guess there are at least hundreds of thousands of those who died, and we will just never know the the numbers. I'm sorry, it's so painful to talk about.

7:28>> well, it's absolutely awful. But, I'm wondering why well, my government, which has funded a lot of this war why we can't get a straight answer from the US government, from the Ukrainian government, the Russian government. I mean, no one seems to have an interest in finding out the real number of dead.

7:46>> Yes. Well, it's very difficult to do because how do you do this in occupation, right? There is no any any relation with that side that would allow to to learn this information and the other side, which is Russian side, obviously is interested in hiding the numbers, right?

8:01>> Yes.

8:01>> I don't believe in verified numbers. And obviously, look, many people who are military now, they used to be just ordinary civilians, right? Engineers, IT guys, journalists working their everyday life and then they turned into military.

8:17So, [snorts] of course, they're soldiers, but they also people, right?

8:20And they are dying.

8:22Um and there are a lot of these things I've heard from the front lines when a person was killed and the body is brought and he has a bullet in his head and uh the government officials, you know, local officials just don't want to put him as a dead from the front lines, so they say he died from a heart attack, for instance.

8:41>> [snorts] >> Yeah, it's war and I think it was happening in every war.

8:45>> Yes.

8:46>> It's just like I think we will never know the true number, but there are so many people who are suffering there.

8:54And you know, I told you this terrible story about retired people and that they live for such absolutely outrageously new low low pensions.

9:07Just when I talk about Zelenskyy, I'm an insider. I talked to so many people who used to work for him or even those people who work for him.

9:16>> [snorts] >> And to be just, you know, to be clear, I believe that he stands behind many schemes of money laundering.

9:25And one of the stories is that I have a friend who was shortlisted for the position of the Ministry of Social Policies during the large-scale invasion. And uh, he was called and he said that he was one of five candidates.

9:40And he would be interviewed by Zelenskyy and Mr. Yermak, then chief of staff of President Zelenskyy. [snorts] And, uh, he was told that during the interview, he would need to come up with the schemes of money laundry so they they are financed from the Ministry of Social Policy. And Ministry of Social Policy is the Ministry that is responsible for pensions.

10:01So, when we're talking about those poor pensioners, you know, and knowing the fact that Zelenskyy himself approves the schemes of money laundering, I mean, is he guilty? I want your audience to respond to that, okay?

10:16Do you understand the desperation of mine?

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11:21Or if you just want to try it out, you can get $40 off your first order with the code Tucker. goodranchers.com, American meat delivered to you. I think most people watching assume that Ukraine is corrupt and has been for a long time and that the Zelensky regime is especially corrupt. I think Americans believe that, but there's almost no evidence that has come out in the American press. The American media has not written very much about his corruption. Why do you think that is?

11:47>> Uh you know, I saw good pieces about corruption, but you're right that there are not too many of them. It's very hard first of all to prove it, but I think there was also some kind of agreement, not official one, right?

12:02Unofficial agreement that we all need to support Zelensky because this means to support Ukraine.

12:09We're all united, you know, to to support Ukraine, but Zelensky abused this unity. He abused our belief in democracy. He abused our fight. He abused our sacrifice, Ukrainian sacrifice, and what the Europeans and Americans were doing for us. He abused actually the trust of so many people. I believe that, you know, millions who still support Zelensky, they were, you know, looking for some great guy in politics. They wanted to believe that there is someone, you know, Churchill or whatever, a historical guy who would really do something good for the people. And Zelensky is amazing actor. He's going to give you what you

12:52want.

12:52>> Exactly.

12:53>> And that's that's what's happening. He still plays on camera this great guy, but believe me, behind the camera he's very different.

13:03I was working for 2 years. For 2 years this guy was repeating two phrases, which are very vocal about him.

13:11One of them, he was saying, "Ukraine is not ready for democracy." And this is a quote.

13:18Another quote was, "Dictatorship is an order."

13:22So, how on earth a person who believes that Ukraine is not ready for democracy and that dictatorship is in order.

13:30Actually can can be the face of democracy.

13:34>> Someone who's cancelled elections, who's not actually elected president, I couldn't agree more. So what um in 2019, 2020, 2021, what was Zelensky saying about Russia?

13:48>> Zelensky came to the presidency as a president of peace.

13:53>> Yes.

13:54>> Uh during his electoral >> We've seen this before.

13:58>> Oh yeah.

13:59He's the guy who made himself in Russia.

14:02The first biggest money he made was in Russia, millions of dollars. He [snorts] was working for Russian propaganda channels and he was fine with that. Furthermore >> He was?

14:13>> Of course, he made all his career tens of years. He was everywhere in Moscow.

14:17By the way, when the first Russian invasion in Donbas happened and Russia annexed Crimea, he was spending time in Russia. He was finishing his movie for which he got a lot of money and he even recognized this in August 2019, I think. He wrote, "Yes, I was in Russia. I was finishing the movie. It was 2014. The war was going on."

14:39Furthermore, I'm writing a book right now and it's a different book. It's it's a book about real Zelensky and I learned a lot of facts and talked a lot of people about a lot of people. And this information was nowhere, but it happened that he had several properties in Crimea. And when the war was happening in Donbas already, he was spending time in Crimea having weed weeds with with the I mean marijuana with his friends from 95th quarter and making facilities there and enjoying time and he didn't care that Russia annexed Crimea already.

15:18>> Well, it was Russian controlled?

15:20>> Yes, it was under Russian control. It was made >> in Russian controlled Crimea?

15:24>> Yes, it was May 2014. I talked to a person who was working for him, a person who was helping him put the windows into the house, and uh person was telling different details about how Zelensky was behaving.

15:38>> [snorts] >> Uh so, everything that Zelensky is saying is really is really very different truth, you know, a very different truth.

15:47>> So, he was the peace candidate. [snorts] >> He came promising that he would stand on his knees in front of Putin and beg Putin to stop.

15:57That's what he was promising.

15:59>> [snorts] >> Um he was saying that Ukrainian and Russian languages are both languages that need to exist, that people speak both languages, and you know, it makes people stronger. That we need to be friends with Russia. He was saying all this stuff, and that's why people voted for him. They didn't want war. Nobody wants war. There is nothing good in war.

16:22And now he totally adapted some nationalist ideology that is not natural for Ukrainians.

16:30>> [gasps] >> And he really plays it well, and uh >> What What happened? How did I mean Most people in the United States were not paying attention.

16:40>> Yes.

16:41>> And we sort of look up to the TV, and there's Joe Biden's Vice President Kamala Harris at the Munich Security Conference in January 2022 with Zelensky saying, "You need to join NATO." And he says, "Great."

16:55That's [snorts] not the behavior of someone who wants to avoid war.

16:59>> You know, one thing is that he has been escalating the rhetoric. Another thing, you know, I was present at his meeting with Vladimir Putin in 2019 in Paris.

17:08There were very few people near him who knew the truth. He had private conversation with Putin where he promised Putin that Ukraine will never join NATO.

17:17So, he's right there.

17:19>> Yes, it was December 2019 and that was a personal conversation. There are very few people know what he promised.

17:26He He He said, "No NATO." because that Ukraine has never, you know, Ukraine has never was was never close to it to NATO.

17:34>> Of course.

17:35>> For being the part of NATO, first of all, we need to have market economy and be reformed country.

17:41It's not like just Trump doesn't want Ukraine in NATO, Biden doesn't want Ukraine. It's not about names. It's just like we're not ready for NATO. There is no consensus to be NATO. It's It's imagination. It's It's a lies. He stick to this fact of joining NATO knowing that it's impossible. He was pushing the impossible agenda and making it a condition for peace. In October 2024, he presented to the parliament victory plan. And he said that joining NATO is the most important thing and long-range missiles for Ukraine are the most important thing.

18:19And And, you know, he made this the plan victory plan.

18:22But it's ridiculous. It's impossible.

18:25And look how he uses it. He uses impossible things to justify his own agenda and actually creating his hero image. For instance, remember after he left Donald Trump, he said, "It's not so easy to get rid of me." He said this to the journalists.

18:44Um "If Ukraine is taken to NATO, I'm ready to step down."

18:49knowing that Ukraine is not going to be taken to NATO. So, it's very easy to promise something under the condition of impossible things.

18:58>> Yes.

18:59>> Right? That's what he is doing. So, this is one thing.

19:03Um >> What changed?

19:05>> if I can >> Oh, of course.

19:08>> One of the most shocking moments for me personally if I'm for communications team uh in 2019-2020 was he was really scared that his ratings started dropping down and he was sure that communications team was guilty in that.

19:26>> He thought it was your fault?

19:28>> Not mine, but all communications people, but I was, you know, there are the part of the team.

19:34And he gathered us and he started saying that there are no positive news about what he is doing in the country.

19:40And my colleague started arguing with the president. Very diplomatically, but she was saying, "Look, there are no so many positive things that are happening.

19:48You're promising something, but it doesn't happen."

19:51She was of course very diplomatic. She didn't say it like that, but that was the thought. And he said, "It doesn't matter what's happening.

19:58Um the most important thing, we need 1,000 of talking heads and if 1,000 of talking heads tells positive things, then positive things are happening that people believe that there are positive things." And she kept arguing and she brought a very good example. She said, "There was a group of internally displaced people from Donbas, families who lost homes and Zelenskyy promised them apartments. And we don't speak about thousands or hundreds. There were like 10 apartments or something like this.

20:29And nobody took care about that. So, he promised, the families were waiting, nobody took care about that."

20:35So, she said, "If there are no those apartments, people will know that there are no apartments. It doesn't matter how many talking heads will say that there are apartments, right?" And he said, "No. If If talking heads, 1,000 people tell you that this is happening, then this is happening."

20:52So, she continued to argue and he became very irritated. And he put his hands like this. What he was doing, he leaned to the table. He looked at us and he said very in a very irritated tone, "I need Goebbels propaganda, if you want. I need Goebbels propaganda. I need thousands of talking heads of Goebbels propaganda.

21:16>> Meaning Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propagandist.

21:18>> Yes, that was major Hitler's propagandist.

21:22And we were like so shocked. We We stopped breathing. [laughter] But okay.

21:28The thing is that I believe what happened in 2022.

21:32He's got his thousands of talking heads global, right?

21:36>> [snorts] >> And many of that of us we're not supposed to be his heads. We just, you know, we were standing for the country. We We believed that he would stop the war soon. That That, you know, we needed to be united. We believed in that.

21:53And 4 years later, Ukrainians don't believe in Zelenskyy's agenda anymore.

21:58But still there are thousands of talking heads, and many of them just get paid for that, you know.

22:04>> Who are they getting paid by?

22:06>> Oh, uh different stuff. For instance, if they are asked to the conferences for moderation or for writing positive message, it's called positive message about Ukraine.

22:16Uh some oligarchs can pay or, you know, it it goes from grants or something like this. In Ukraine, obviously, the experts get paid from uh the structures that are close to the government. Those are the biggest patriots. Or, um you know, grants from European Union, for instance. And you know, I'm not saying that these people are bad. No, they are not. In many ways, they just not aware what's happening.

22:40They're calling They're talking to each other or to some experts or to the government. They still believe in the legend that Zelenskyy has some ratings.

22:48And by the way, just a week ago, I was talking to insider from the office of the president. And again, I was working for the office of the president. I know there are different ratings. Ratings that are closed just for the eyes of the president and few in the team and ratings that are presented to the govern to the public, right? And the insider from from politics who saw the ratings said that Zelensky is non-electable. His ratings are so low.

23:14I was looking at those ratings in 2023 and 2024 every month and his ratings were very very low, getting lower and lower and lower. And here is another big revelation for you.

23:27When Donald Trump went out and named Zelensky a dictator and when he was talking about low ratings of Zelensky, of course, Zelensky said that Donald Trump is influenced by Russians and this is all Russian propaganda and Donald Trump was called pro-Russian as every critic of Zelensky.

23:45But in fact, Donald Trump got information from a lot of Ukrainians.

23:50These are former government officials and even current government officials.

23:54These are people who close to President Zelensky. They provided evidence, documents, witnesses, what they knew, everything because when Donald Trump came to power for the second term, so many Ukrainians hoped and still hope that he will help achieve peace.

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25:30>> What was Zelenskyy's relationship >> I'm so angry [gasps] now.

25:34>> [laughter] >> It's okay. It's uh You have every reason to be. You have every reason to be. It's your country.

25:40>> Mhm.

25:41>> Can't even imagine, actually.

25:42>> You can't.

25:43>> No, I can't. I hope I never have to see anything like that here.

25:48What was Zelenskyy's relationship like with Joe Biden?

25:52>> Oh.

25:54So, there is a very good American journalist who wrote a book, and he mentioned that relationships, but I also met him and he told me in private conversation that Biden was thinking that Zelenskyy was emotionally manipulative.

26:09When I was there, uh >> [laughter] >> Um he also described in the book that Zelenskyy thought that Biden was weak.

26:17Um when I was there, uh Zelenskyy had several interviews to push Biden for some agenda.

26:25And I remember that I met one American diplomat. He was pissed off with this interview. He was shouting at me so so much, and it was a party, and I was not the organizer. Mr. Yermak was an organizer, and the diplomat knew he's just so pissed off that he couldn't stop shouting, and he shouted that that interview was uh kind of either stupid or unprofessional, and it shouldn't be like that. Um when I was leaving and I resigned, there are bots who are spreading the rumor that I was fired because I worked for Russia. This is not true.

27:00Uh, we departed on good terms. Zelensky thanked me. He wished me good luck. Uh, they wanted me to continue as an advisor to the office. So, we departed in good in good terms.

27:11Um, the thing is that, um, uh, Zelensky actually, uh, was destroying relations with multiple actors in the West, including with the United States.

27:24And, [snorts] uh, one of the things was that since 2020 till 2021, for a year, uh, there was a reform agenda and Zelensky literally was destroying every reform. And it was happening like one by one, like, and that was disastrous. And, uh, >> What kind of reforms?

27:44>> Uh, what kind of reforms? So, >> [sighs and gasps] >> there was, uh, an agreement with the IMF in 2020. Ukraine was, as often, on the verge of, uh, default and we needed money. And obviously, IMF doesn't provide you money for free. So, there was like 10 or 12 positions of the reforms that needed to be done.

28:03And, uh, um, as soon as as So, Zelensky really did a miraculous job with two the most difficult reforms. He pressed the the parliament to vote for it for them.

28:15Which actually means that he could go through this agenda, difficult agenda, and push for the reforms. He just didn't want to.

28:23As soon as two reforms were pushed through, the IMF approved 5.5 billion dollars.

28:29And I remember I was present at the conversation between Zelensky and Kristalina Georgieva. They spoke in Russian because Kristalina Georgieva is Bulgarian and they had such trust and understanding, you know? But as soon as the money came through and the first tranche was 2.1 billion more than they wanted to give uh, at the beginning.

28:50In few days, Zelenskyy violated the first reform. He fired by political reasons the head of the National Bank. And it was a big scandal.

29:00Kristalina Georgieva called back and she never spoke in Russian to Zelenskyy anymore because she was undermined. She promised to the board that he was a reliable man, that he agreed for reforms, that he proved that he could push reforms through. And then suddenly, as soon as he gets first money, he fires the head of the National Bank.

29:19And the head of the National Bank said that he was fired via political pressure. And you know, that was a scandal.

29:26Zelenskyy explained her this. He said, "There will be another independent head of the National Bank.

29:34But he will just be our >> [laughter] >> He will be just our head of National Bank. He will be professional and independent, but he will be coming from us."

29:45He even doesn't understand what he is saying, right? It it It's hilarious. Do you understand me?

29:50>> I do.

29:50>> Okay. So, then after that, there was a justice reform. There was a scandal in in the courts. Then there was another another another like every reform. And the last one that was really that that was really blowing up, it was a corporate reform. Actually, the reform that was needed to be destroyed to make corruption.

30:13>> Mhm.

30:14>> So, the United States helped Ukraine to establish the corporate reform as in the United States. There is the board of independent people who looks how actually the state enterprises are working and looking so that there is no corruption there. There is a big Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftogaz in Ukraine. And Zelenskyy just dismissed the independent board and put his own people there, and um um Yeah, this is something that hasn't been public, but we were talking to anti-corruption activists, and um there was money laundering at some point from Naftogaz. So, the last guy just wanted to turn this state oil and gas company

30:58in in Russian Gazprom.

31:00>> Yes.

31:00>> there is your own person there, and there are dark offices, and the money is laundered from there. And that's when the United States was so pissed off that they did not uh uh they did not prolong uh the sanctions against Nord Stream.

31:16I'm going really deep here. I don't know if your audience is going I mean >> I I I don't know if your audience is going to understand everything, but Nord Stream was a pipeline that uh Russia was building to bring its own uh gas to to the European Union, and it was sanctioned by by the United States.

31:35>> [snorts] >> And uh so, when Ukraine when President Zelenskyy was actually violating all the reforms that uh he had agreed with the United States, at some point Biden's administration was so pissed off that they decided to allow Russia to finish this Nord Stream pipeline.

31:52Does that make sense?

31:53>> It does. And then they blew it up in the end anyway.

31:56>> Yeah.

31:57>> [sighs] >> Yeah. Yeah.

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32:45>> Is Zelensky himself corrupt?

32:47>> So, there was one minister. I I don't name the people, okay? But, um uh he had good connections with the United States, and that's why Zelensky appreciated him. And there was this absolutely ridiculous story that uh you know, Ukrainian ministries get very low salaries, like $12,000 per year.

33:07>> Ooh.

33:08>> Yeah.

33:08>> Yeah.

33:09>> That's why there is corruption there, right?

33:11>> Yes.

33:12>> And uh he said, "Look, I don't need much, but I will need like $5,000 per month, so 60,000 per year."

33:18>> Yep.

33:19>> Like, you know, really didn't want much, but that would guarantee that he did not make corruption.

33:24Zelensky, of course, promised him in his first interview, and obviously didn't do anything for that. Uh so, uh the minister just started writing himself premium.

33:34bonuses And uh opposition was attacking him.

33:38Like, "Oh my god, $5,000 per month for the minister. That was such a scandal."

33:43You know, Zelensky obviously didn't like that.

33:45So, when the first government was dismissed, this guy was invited, and Zelensky said, "Look, I like how you work. You have good relations with the West. Maybe you want to continue in the other government.

33:55>> [snorts] >> But you cannot have $5,000 of official salary because it causes so much scandal."

34:01And when the guy entered the room, there was President Zelensky here, Mr. Yermak here, and another person whom I know here.

34:09And there was a bag of dollars on their table. And the guy said, "I can't give you 5,000 of official salary, but I will be giving you 5,000 of, you know, dark money every month. So, you can get your salary, but it's not going to be official, okay?"

34:24Which means if Zelensky knows it, it's not corruption.

34:28>> Of course.

34:29>> You see?

34:29>> Does he take Do you think Zelensky and his family have gotten rich since the war began?

34:35>> They have always been rich. He's playing this poor guy in his this cheap uh sweater.

34:43He is rich, obviously. Um look, I don't know where the money goes, but I was meeting one veteran of politics who has known Zelensky for dozens of years.

34:53And the first thing he asks me, "Where is the money?" I'm like, "What?"

34:57He's like, "I know Zelensky for many years. He has never lifted a finger for free. He would never do anything for free."

35:04So, you know, I'm not a law enforcement.

35:07It's something for the law enforcement to prove. But, I've just told you already two stories, right?

35:12There was another story from another minister who just called us recently, and he said >> [snorts] >> uh when he was um on the position, uh those very close people to Zelensky were actually taking percentage from some some governmental uh programs. I mean, illegal percentage.

35:32>> Yes.

35:33>> And uh he told Zelensky that they're taking really too much already. Like, really they're insisting on very big amounts.

35:42And Zelensky smiled and said, "Good job, guys. Good job, guys." And he was not joking. The minister says he was not joking. He was really happy it was happening. And then the minister thought, "Oh, we're not going far with this." Yeah, he resigned later.

36:00Uh now in the government, there are very uh few people who are professionals. They are there, but very few.

36:08Uh mostly Zelensky puts there loyalists who will never say no, and who create the agenda that absolutely is out of mind.

36:18Uh he just wants something, like if he is writing his scripts, you know, of of the Servant of the People, and And he just once he he demands this and people go and you know, they just make up some reports and he goes with this reports and says that this is true.

36:36This is how it works, unfortunately.

36:38He's a PR guy and PR only PR. He's not the the guy of substance.

36:44>> Who does he listen to? Who are his advisers? Yermak, you said this is chief of staff for years. I don't know that he still is, but he's identified in the west as Zelenskyy's closest friend and adviser. Is that true and who is who is Yermak?

36:57>> Mr. Yermak started his career at the strip club. Uh long ago. Yeah, like not strip club but as a lawyer. Uh >> At a strip club?

37:08>> Yes, a lot There was a strip club where there were a lot of those people who later would become politicians in the pro-Russian party. And he was a lawyer there and I was talking to first employee of Yermak and first employee also said he had so many ambitions and he had no absolutely talents for those ambitions.

37:29>> [laughter] >> That's that's just, you know, a quote.

37:32Uh yeah, so he started like that and he met there a lot of people who would later join into politics.

37:38>> At the strip club?

37:40>> Yeah, it was very famous strip club.

37:42It was 90s, I think or early 2000s. Then he was working for a store of luxury brands that mostly are brought not officially via smuggling.

37:58And that's where he also met a lot of uh rich people, oligarchs and 95th quarter is also buying clothes there. So officially Mr. Yermak says that he was a lawyer at one of the biggest Ukrainian channels and that's where he met Zelenskyy. He used to be a general producer of that channel, but I'm not sure where they met.

38:17Uh so it's possible that they just met through, you know, some other entertaining stories. Yermak also made some movies about smuggling, which is very symbolic for me since he used to work in that business.

38:30He was involved in some dark affairs of mafia stuff on the level of Kyiv city and that's what how you know, he knew a lot of politicians and from the point of view of not politics, but how the things can be done.

38:49He could be helpful to Zelenskyy.

38:53Their relations was very strange, very different, very very difficult, very strange.

39:00Yermak knows that he is personally narcissist and he knows that Zelenskyy is narcissist and these are two malign and paranoid narcissists. Oh my god, why I'm saying that, but that's true.

39:14>> Yermak and Zelenskyy are both malign narcissists.

39:17>> Yermak and Zelenskyy are both malign and and very paranoid narcissists who are both on defensive mode.

39:24>> They're both paranoid.

39:26>> [sighs] >> Yermak more.

39:29>> How paranoid?

39:30>> Oh, Yermak, he just creates this stuff from nowhere. He's just like You don't need to do anything while he can come up come up with something. I don't know. It's It's really some kind of a sick mind to be friend. Frank. And it was some kind of a symbiosis.

39:49And Zelenskyy had the vision and Yermak had the tools to implement the vision.

39:55>> [sighs] >> It was not about politics or policies.

39:58It was more about what they wanted for themselves.

40:04It's important to say that sometimes Zelenskyy didn't know how to make what he wanted, how how to make it work.

40:13>> Yes.

40:14>> So, he was just saying the desires and Yermak was finding the way.

40:20And often and often it was happening that Zelenskyy then says to do this, but Yermak calls and say don't do this because he saw doing this in this way.

40:28And in general, that was so chaotic.

40:31Like no professional could work there.

40:34I'm I'm saying that it's it's not possible because they just like keep in saying different things, keep in changing the strategies, keep in changing the moods, keep in changing everything all the time. And they create this feeling that there's so much work and everybody works works works, but no nothing is done.

40:54>> Sounds awful.

40:55>> It's it's really strange, but I I'm not the one who knows that.

40:59>> What what What do you think Zelenskyy wanted? What were his goals?

41:06>> Uh well, I definitely know that he thought he came forever.

41:12Uh his first chief of staff said it once.

41:15He laughed to the minister and said, we came forever.

41:19That's um >> So he liked being the dictator.

41:23>> [sighs] >> Well, he is a dictator.

41:26Uh the close the borders are closed now for 4 years. It's illegally.

41:31The human rights violations is enormous.

41:33The persecution of the people.

41:36In 2024 when Donald Trump came to power, there was a member of parliament who wrote on Telegram, Zelenskyy, now we need to stop this war.

41:44And yes, you will lose the next elections, but stop this war. Like Trump will push you stop this war. And uh he was in jail in 3 days. He's still in jail.

41:54>> Really?

41:55>> I talked Yeah, and I talked to security services and they said he he never talked to Russia since 2021, no connection, but he is uh accused in treason.

42:07>> [snorts] >> And there are a lot of people who are people are persecuted. Um obviously there are dirty campaigns. Everyone who criticizes Zelenskyy is just uh pro-Russian, Russian, pro-Kremlin.

42:20You're pro-Kremlin. I will be pro-Kremlin after this interview, you know. I believe that American special services do their job well and if there were any pro-Kremlin payments or contacts, obviously, they would know that, right?

42:34Um, yeah, so in general, this is it, but uh you know, for me personally >> [sighs and gasps] >> the situation in the country is inhuman because I never would think that my country would be the one where people are grabbed on the streets and forced to the front lines. I never would think that we all agree and uh stay silent to the fact that Zelenskyy uses front line as the punishment. Like and >> He uses the war as a punishment, political punishment?

43:06>> Yeah. He even was uh open about that. He was saying if somebody does something bad, we need to punish them and send to the front line. That was his statements.

43:17Uh but uh there are people who are sent there just because they're critics of Zelenskyy, you know.

43:24>> Do you know anyone who's been sent for criticizing Zelenskyy?

43:27>> Uh there were people from the security services who were sent uh publicly and there were a few people who were sent there.

43:34>> What's it like, the front line?

43:37>> There are different front lines. Some people find front line, you know, in a cozy place, just wearing the uniform and uh playing the role of some bloggers, but >> [sighs and gasps] >> I know people who survived when their units were killed.

43:53It's terrifying. Um, my mother was treating soldiers who were sent in bad uniforms during winter uh to another side and um their fingers and limbs were cut off because were frozen.

44:08>> [snorts] >> Every year Ukrainians are collecting money for their uniforms, you know, necessary stuff. Women are cooking food for for the soldiers.

44:17No, I'm not kidding. There are a lot of volunteers who >> has sent hundreds of billions of dollars, and they don't have gloves or food?

44:25Where did all the money >> have some of them have food. Some of them for them are looking for more, you know. And yeah, usually people are collecting even money for weapons or for Starlinks.

44:36>> all the hundreds of billions from the >> Yeah, you need to track it. You need to track it. But look, there is a scandal right now in Ukraine when the Minister of Energy was fired, and it is now known that he helped money laundry 112 million dollars, 112 million dollars.

44:54And those money should have been used for the shield for energy sector, and it's a huge scandal in Ukraine. There is proven stuff by the law enforcement, and behind the whole scheme is the guy who worked with Russian mafia.

45:12That's amazing. You should go and look into it, but there is the whole scheme with the offshore companies, with the names behind. And the Minister of Energy himself got 12 million dollars for this.

45:23So, it's around 10%.

45:27And 10% is usually paid for those who help establish the scheme, right? So, where is the 90%?

45:35That is the question.

45:36>> I'm just I know I've said this before, but I'm amazed that more people from Zelenskyy's government haven't come forward to say this in the West in English.

45:47Why is that?

45:49Why haven't more people I afraid?

45:51>> What are they afraid of?

45:52>> On Netflix, there is a movie, a series, How to Become a Tyrant.

46:00I didn't know about that unless one governmental official came to me and said, "I watched that series. It's what's happening in the country."

46:08And it was before the war.

46:11I mean large-scale war.

46:13Everyone is afraid. Zelenskyy has no limits. That's the problem. I am sitting here because I know that he is in a weak point today.

46:22And I know that there are a lot of people in his government and in his vertical of power who want peace.

46:30>> [snorts] >> And I'm I didn't want to put on him. I'm sitting here because I want peace, too.

46:36And this guy is going to come up with any condition. He's going to change the positions all the time just to prolong this war and to get more money.

46:45He doesn't want to have political suicide. Finishing war for him is a political suicide. You see?

46:52>> I do.

46:53>> So, I'm sitting here having this belief that if he is furiously ordering the people to arrange something against me, maybe in this vertical of power would be people who will not agree. Now, but even 2 years ago, they would do whatever he want.

47:15>> What do you think he would do to you for saying this if he could?

47:20>> [snorts] >> Look, I'm risking everything. I cannot return to Ukraine after this interview, okay?

47:26Um >> [sighs] >> I know people who get threats.

47:34A month ago, there was um a banker in Milan who fell out of of of the window.

47:41>> In Milan?

47:42>> Yes.

47:42>> Milan, Italy?

47:43>> Yes.

47:45And the Italy is investigating it.

47:48But there was one guy, a story that nobody paid attention to, who died when Zelenskyy was traveling to Mr. Biden in September 2023. Uh the guy used to be a governor of my region, Kherson region, where I'm originally from.

48:07If you think about the governors, they are usually very rich, local, very successful, strong people who have their people everywhere, have established processes, have a lot of money.

48:20It's very strange that he died behind garages by making suicide of poison in himself.

48:28And I talked to one very deep insider on top position in security service, and the guy told me, "This is a very strange death." Because this guy was negotiating with Russians.

48:40He was getting his orders from Yermak. I know the middleman, and then he was passing some information to Russians when Russians were occupying Kherson, and then back.

48:52And then when Zelensky travels to Biden, this guy makes suicide behind garages.

48:59And security service explains that he had he had a depression.

49:04He had depression. He had depression.

49:07A rich guy, strong guy, used to be a governor of he he had depression and he decided to poison himself behind garages.

49:16>> [laughter] >> I mean, this all just doesn't come together.

49:20So, people who work for Zelensky believe that if they were to criticize him, they could be killed. Or jailed. Or jailed. I told you just about the member of parliament, but there are also those people who sit there for years, and the courts cannot the general prosecution cannot prove the guilt that they are accused in. It's also treason, you know, collaboration with Russia. Just for greed.

49:45It's it's for for Yeah, and it's for criticism. It's it's just, you know, political fight, nothing more.

49:53>> What are jails like in Ukraine?

49:55>> Oh, they're awful.

49:56>> [laughter] >> Oh, they're awful. Um, a lot of people in one place.

50:03Now, by the way, there was the news that uh diseases are being spread. It's very cold. The food is terrible. It's It's It's a terrible place to be. It's not like in American jail, no.

50:15It's a terrible place to be.

50:17>> So, Ukrainians can't speak up for fear of being imprisoned or killed.

50:22But, why do you think Western media hasn't spoken up?

50:27>> Here, I would like to say uh the thing that the [snorts] freedom of speech in Ukraine is in bad shape.

50:36But, I believe that it improved when Donald Trump came to power for the second term. Because there are more and more news coming up and despite that some journalists are also sent to the front lines or attacked.

50:50Still, you know, there are materials that are coming up.

50:55And when this freezing winter was happening, terrible winter, when people were freezing in their homes without light, without water.

51:04>> [sighs] >> The whole is a revolution on Instagram, Ukrainian Instagram started. And I wanted to tell you two trends, just two of multiple trends that are happening on Instagram right now.

51:17>> [snorts] >> That will show you that Ukrainians are suffering under Zelenskyy. They don't support what Zelenskyy is doing. One of the trends is they're burning the books with Zelenskyy's speeches in their fireplaces or fires, saying, "Ha, finally we figured out why we needed those."

51:38>> [snorts] >> The second thing is very politically incorrect and I'm very sorry in front of the audience.

51:43>> story.

51:44>> Okay, I'm very sorry, but uh I tried to describe the desperacy and the dark humor that Ukrainians use.

51:53A driver is, uh, parking on the parking lot for a place for a disabled person.

52:00And another person is coming with a telephone asking, "Why did you park on the place for a disabled person?" And the driver responds a responded responds and the driver responds "I'm going to vote for Zelenskyy for the second time."

52:16>> You mean mentally disabled? Yes.

52:19>> So, these are trends. This is not like one real, two real. These are trends and they're going viral. And this is the way how people are trying to shout out, "We are desperate. Please stop this war.

52:33Please stop this nonsense. Please stop this autocracy."

52:38There is no reason why to fight this war. It's senseless. You see, people lost all sense of this war. Like, if this war is for NATO or against NATO expansion, then Ukraine has no chances to be in NATO.

52:55>> [snorts] >> If Putin conducts this war against Zelenskyy, then Zelenskyy is the main beneficiary of this war.

53:01>> It's true.

53:02>> If this war is for returning territories, then we have been losing territories for 3 years.

53:09If this war is for democracy, then we have no democracy in the country now.

53:15People in the frontline regions, they tell terrible things. One person told me "I don't know what we are fighting for.

53:23What's the difference between Ukraine and Russia right now? There is autocracy there and autocracy here. There is no anything that would would be democratic now. So, what's the fight for?" This is not what I am saying. This is what people from different regions are saying.

53:38>> Yes.

53:39>> And I believe that Zelenskyy had two chances of finishing this war in 2022.

53:45Two chances.

53:46Now he says that 90% of Ukrainians will not forgive him giving up Donbas.

53:55Where does he come from with these numbers? Like there are no such numbers.

53:59Realistically, no such numbers.

54:02And I was talking to people who represented Ukraine at negotiations in Istanbul in 2022.

54:08>> Yes, the famous negotiations where they came pretty close.

54:12>> Oh, they were almost done, yeah.

54:14And I was explained in details that they agreed for everything.

54:19And furthermore, which is very important, they said that Zelensky personally agreed to give away Donbas.

54:27And I I was shocked. At that moment, it was a shocking news and I said, "Really?

54:31Did he?"

54:32And the guy said, "Of course he is. He is okay with that because he will stop the horror of war."

54:40He he he agreed for giving away the territory because because that would mean the war is over.

54:47And now he is standing in front of millions of audiences telling, "I cannot give away Donbas."

54:54You see, he he isn't consistent. He is changing the positions all the time.

54:59The second time when he could and the office of the president planned he would finish the war was the end of 2022. And as I read The New York Times who actually confirmed my insights that the Biden administration decided to go with his plan to continue that war.

55:22That was Mr. Blinken who was advising, you know, if Ukraine wants to fight, then Ukraine needs to fight. Despite all the evidence that we could not win that war.

55:33>> not.

55:34>> Um You know, there is this thing also, everything that is said against Zelensky is being pro-Russian.

55:43>> [snorts] >> And now, um, you know, this Mr. Johnson, Prime Minister Johnson thing.

55:48>> Boris Johnson from the UK.

55:49>> Johnson is a uh big friend of Zelensky.

55:52>> He's an evil man.

55:53>> Uh.

55:55So, um, remember Bucha? Bucha is a small town in Kyiv region and uh it was occupied by Russia and there are a lot of terrible things and terrible deaths happened there. And Zelensky came to Bucha after it was deoccupied uh on April 4th, 2022.

56:14And I remember him standing in front of the journalists and he had this, you know, terrible face and terrible terrible, you know, look and he was it it it felt like he he he went through pain while seeing all those bodies there.

56:31But he was asked if he was going to continue the negotiations with Russia and he said, "Yes.

56:37Yes, I am going to continue." That that's fixed on the camera. He was going to continue.

56:43And then, you know, they had all the agreement by positions about Donbas, about language, about many, many things. They agreed upon everything.

56:53And then Boris Johnson came.

56:55And now it is said that this is Putin's lies.

56:58But this story was told by Ukrainians.

57:01It was not told by Russians.

57:04Ukrainians who were trying to bring peace knew that Boris Johnson influenced the decision.

57:11And [snorts] Zelensky was promised to have everything, weapons, influence, fame, you know, and he will fight Russia and he will be a great hero and that's everything that Zelensky wants. He doesn't care about people. He cares about staying in power. He cares about being the great hero in the history.

57:30So, I believe there were two two moments where he could finish this war, but he chose the war of attrition.

57:40I don't know how 25 million of Ukrainians who stay in the country can have war war with attrition with with Russia that has the population of 140 million people.

57:51Uh with Russia who by the way in 4 years has not even borrowed for this war. And Ukraine has the debt of 100% of GDP.

58:01With Russia that awaits sanctions, still tries to sell, you know, it's >> [snorts] >> And Ukraine has no market economy.

58:12I mean >> Russia is so much bigger than Ukraine that Ukraine could never win. It's just too big. Russia's too big.

58:18>> You know, the New York Times wrote a story that was scandalous in 2023.

58:23And the title was Ukraine will need to choose between people and territories.

58:27And we are indeed choosing. And our leader is choosing to choose.

58:31>> I mean Look, I'm not an expert at all on on Eastern Europe, but I have Wikipedia.

58:37I just look up land mass, population, industrial capacity. You don't need that much information to know this country cannot beat that country in a land war.

58:46It's just I It was obvious. I don't understand.

58:49>> I think it's obvious for Zelenskyy, too, but he thrives on this war. He thrives on this war. Why would he finish it?

58:56>> Well, because it's destroying his country.

58:58>> I don't think he he thinks about that.

59:00In 2024, I was talking to a very smart guy who knows Russia and knows Ukraine very well. He used to be an advisor to the president.

59:10He's an American, by the way. And uh he said me that Zelenskyy would finish the war till the end of 2024.

59:18I said, "No, he won't." He said, "Why?

59:20He's losing territories. Russians will go to Dnipropetrovsk and other regions, Zaporizhzhia, Odessa, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv." He names all those regions of Ukraine. And I'm like, this is not the reason for him to stop.

59:33And the guy could not understand. Like, he could not. He's like, "But why?

59:37You're going to lose the territories.

59:39You're going to lose more." And I'm saying, "This is not not how he thinks."

59:45He he he imagines the lives like he he's thinking is limited with thinking of what he sees.

59:54>> [gasps] >> of of his beautiful golden office, you know.

59:59And and and and the guy was like, "Okay, they're in Zaporizhzhia." I'm like, "Not a reason." "They're in Zaporizhzhia."

60:04"Not a reason." "They're there. They're there."

60:06And then the guy says, "Okay, there needs to be somewhere point where he will understand that Russians are winning.

60:13Maybe when Russians are with the guns in his office." I'm like, "Yeah, that's where he will understand there."

60:18>> So, it sounds like he doesn't care very much about Ukraine.

60:21>> cared. He never cared He never cared about the people. That's the point.

60:26>> [snorts] >> There are You know, there are I I I tried to come up not only with the insights. I think the things that I told you are quite terrible, but this is who he is.

60:37But let just check the facts online, okay?

60:41At the Munich conference, Zelenskyy insisted that ceasefire is the condition for peace, for negotiations, and for elections. He is keeping pushing for ceasefire again, knowing that Russia is against ceasefire. It's like the nature story, right?

60:57>> Yes.

60:58>> If you go online and check his speech for the UN General Assembly September 2024, he was saying that no ceasefire is possible. That it's very irresponsible to ask Ukraine for a ceasefire. That a ceasefire will lead to a frozen conflict. And he was going against a ceasefire all the time.

61:19Then, second thing.

61:22Uh in June 2024 there was a peace summit where Ukraine presented Zelenskyy's peace formula. There were 160 delegations coming from different countries. And I truly believe that those delegations wanted to discuss peace.

61:39Uh there were discussions about the energy security, returning children, and something else.

61:45And Switzerland suggested that they invite Russian delegation, maybe even Vladimir Putin.

61:52>> Yeah.

61:53>> And office of the president was very much against it. And office of the president of Ukraine even organized a media campaign saying that it is absolutely morally impossible to talk to Russia, to Putin. We need just to pressure, no negotiations with Russia.

62:11You see?

62:12At the same time, when he was presenting the formula of peace, Ukraine was organizing the Kursk region operation.

62:19And how do actually you offer the world to have peace and at the same time are planning operation to invade Kursk region? You see? These are very inconsistent things.

62:32Then, after his just formula, where he suggested one things, he offered victory plan, where he suggested completely different things.

62:42Then, in November 2024, he said that he would agree for temporary occupation of some territories if another government controlled territory of Ukraine will be included in NATO.

62:54Then, in several days, he said that he was a misinterpreted.

62:58>> [snorts] >> I'm telling you so many examples when he has been changing the conditions, preconditions to end this war.

63:06>> Because he doesn't want to end the war.

63:08>> Because he doesn't want to end this war.

63:10I counted with my insides around seven attempts to finish this war, where he used different mediators. He used different countries.

63:20We promised those mediators. He promised those countries, those leaders that he would start negotiations, that he would agree for conditions, and he always lied.

63:30>> But it's I'm not giving him a pass. I'm not making excuses for Zelenskyy.

63:36But Ukraine has got you know, 100% debt to GDP ratio, limited industrial capacity. Like it can't fight a war without Western aid, period.

63:47And so, it's France, UK, United States that are paying for all this. Why would the Western countries want to keep the war going? Obviously, they do.

64:00>> This is a very good question.

64:02To be frank, I think that the approach that Donald Trump team offered is a very constructive approach.

64:09In any way, Ukraine wouldn't survive without aid. But one thing, one thing is to plan the investment, right? To boost businesses, to provide jobs, to pay taxes, to to recover economy, and to have returnings, right? And another one just to to provide the money for the war, and I believe that the governments gave so much money, and some of those governments they just cannot back up now. They cannot say that we gave those money for a dictator.

64:44Because they are afraid about their ratings and their own situation. Right now, some of the Europeans were saying Ukrainians members of parliament that Ukraine was undermining them because of corruption.

64:58Ukrainians are bagging, please, just open your eyes. Help us stop this war.

65:04It's It's not about your ratings. It's about people paying with blood.

65:09>> Of course, but it sounds like that's not going to be possible as long as Zelensky is there. The war won't end as long as he is.

65:15>> he will finish this war.

65:17I don't know.

65:18>> It sounds like it. If there are seven attempts to finish the war and his only position has been the war needs to continue, he's clearly not the guy to end the war.

65:28So, how do you get Zelensky out?

65:31>> That's a good question and I'm not the one to answer it.

65:33>> Well, there are no elections, so >> But we are in a legal trap here and the last time when he was planning elections, he actually didn't want to lift the martial law and wanted to have one round elections so that he can manufacture them. And this is the article on a very reliable Ukrainian media outlet.

65:52The journalist talked to insiders from from the office and from the parliament.

65:58Just another example. Look, there was this Munich Security Conference and um Zelensky assaulted the Prime Minister of Hungary, Mr. Orbán.

66:10>> [sighs] >> That's so interesting. It's like I'm saying so many bad things. I feel so bad about that. But just like if you're a rational person, think about this.

66:20>> Yes.

66:20>> The leader of Ukraine standing in front of all the leaders and keeps assaulting one of the European leaders.

66:29In a week, this European leader will need to vote for a 90 billion loan for Ukraine.

66:35And obviously, Orbán just blocked everything. And everybody is like pointing fingers to Orbán, how bad Orbán is, how bad Orbán is. Perhaps he is. I'm not justifying Orbán here. But if you are a leader of a country, how on earth are you assaulting a person from whom you will need a support of 90 billion of a loan, without which Ukraine just cannot go further?

66:59>> that's a great question and I watched him do the same thing to Donald Trump.

67:03>> Absolutely. But can I finish >> is is >> Yeah, can I finish this moment?

67:07>> The thing is that um the conflict that has escalated recently is about a pipeline, oil pipeline. Uh Hungary was getting Russian oil through Ukraine and it's damaged. And Zelenskyy made this again performance, huge performance as if he is a brave hero who is fighting against Russian oil, Russian gas, all Russian, etc., etc. At the same time, Ukraine on technical level is repairing the pipeline. The European Commission is insisting that we do it as fast as possible. And Ukraine is sending the explanation to the European Commission.

67:42You know, it will take some time, but we are offering you another pipeline so that there is no energy crisis. So, the work is there, right? And Zelenskyy is just performing some stuff in his head.

67:55And the other important moment in this, do you know that this was France, not Hungary, who bought the biggest number of Russian energy products last year, including Russian LNG that it's selling to Germany. So, why doesn't Zelenskyy go against Macron? I don't understand that.

68:14>> Well, it's a great question. I I'm I'm aware of this. Um what's >> And Donald Trump, uh you know, I was watching that thing that that Oval Office situation.

68:26>> [sighs] >> For me, it was so painful. It is so painful. Every time when I'm posting on my Twitter videos of ruined Ukrainian cities, every time I have this quote from Zelenskyy, "We've got beautiful cities. Come and see."

68:44I'm like, how you can say that these ruins are beautiful cities?

68:51The thing is that many people who know Zelenskyy, they characterize the situation that this is what's happening behind the camera usually. Such hysterical behavior, no control of emotions, and this manipulation, attempts to prove himself. This is Zelenskyy. This is how he looks all the time.

69:17>> user?

69:20>> This is an open secret.

69:22Um The thing is that I've never seen him taking drugs.

69:27However, for writing my book, I met a lot of people who confirmed that they saw him taking drugs in different clubs.

69:36Um only once saw him taking drugs in 2021.

69:42I learned who is the supplier from 95th Quarter. Um and I met that person and >> You met Zelenskyy's drug dealer?

69:51>> I'm not saying he's a drug dealer. He's a guy from 95th Quarter. And uh >> What's 95th Quarter?

69:57>> 95th Quarter.

69:59Uh it's it's entertaining company of Zelenskyy. Uh 95th Quarter, where he comes from.

70:06Uh it's it's the guy who who is an actor. Um and uh he he behaved really in a strange way. His eyes and his behavior >> Is Is Zelenskyy using cocaine?

70:17>> Again, I have not seen that. So, uh the thing is that all these people are talking about cocaine. Yes.

70:25The second thing is um every time when we were preparing to uh the interview, you know, I was reading the notes, explaining who is the journalist, what he needs to say, the message in the questions.

70:39>> [snorts] >> He does not like reading, to be frank, usually.

70:44He's more, you know, like tries to listen to you and then he takes his like 15 minutes in the bathroom.

70:53And I'm telling you that I was always surprised um that he was going out a different person. Like really always a different person.

71:01>> So you'd be briefing him.

71:04>> Then he goes to the bathroom, he spends there 15 minutes and he is going out energized, full of, you know, action, ready to say everything.

71:14>> Sniffing?

71:16>> [laughter] [gasps] >> So I don't want to say something that I didn't see, but but I met too many people.

71:25>> I met doctors, I met, you know, people who spend time with him in the clubs.

71:31And I talked to the people who has been knowing him for like 20, 25 years.

71:38And it's not just me.

71:39>> a cocaine >> And also I don't know if you follow that, but there was an allegation, accusation that he is a cocaine user during his electoral campaign. And that's why he invited his opponent, President Poroshenko at moment, to take analysis on drugs.

71:58>> [snorts] >> And he went to the clinics of his friend.

72:02And when the analysis was presented, it happened that the analysis was dated by different date when he gave those analysis.

72:09>> Aha.

72:10>> That was a big scandal. I mean this is everywhere. The allegation is everywhere. There are many people who saw him.

72:16>> time.

72:17>> For a long time, yeah. And you know, there is this very strange behavior, obviously. You know, there are a lot of things that point out to it, but I personally have not seen that.

72:29>> But you spoke to his cocaine supplier from 95th quarter.

72:33>> Not for the book. I met him in the office of the president. I didn't know about cocaine back then, but I was very surprised of his behavior.

72:41His eyes were sparkling and he was so happy and slow.

72:50And he was trying to make some jokes that I didn't understand. I was like, this is a strange guy.

72:57And I didn't know what he was doing there because he didn't have any position. He just came to the office of the president.

73:04>> What's Zelenskyy's wife like?

73:06>> [sighs] [laughter] [gasps] >> You know, many people who know her respect her.

73:14Many people were saying that she was the only human who stayed nearby him.

73:21She really didn't want him to go for the second term. She even said this publicly.

73:29But I believe she changed.

73:31And um >> [snorts] >> I don't know if she still has that positive influence on him that she used to have, but Zelenskyy never thought that women are equally important.

73:44He's the one who respects his woman, but not as she if she is like really equal.

73:51If it makes sense.

73:54>> Once I was in this very weird situation.

73:56I was in many weird situations with Zelenskyy. It's just a norm. But there was this situation where there was his friend from 95th quarter and Zelenskyy, we were three of us.

74:09>> [clears throat] >> I don't know for which reason this guy started telling a very funny to his mind situation that Olena Zelenska was running after Zelenskyy for eight years to make him marry her. And he he was a strong guy.

74:27He didn't want to marry. Ha ha ha, it was so funny.

74:31Well, definitely Zelenskyy was smiling a lot and he liked the story. I still don't understand what was funny about that.

74:39Um I think Zelenska is a smart person, but she does not care and doesn't know anything about politics. And she doesn't want to be involved.

74:50She tried to stay human.

74:52>> [sighs and gasps] >> I'm not sure what worked out.

74:56>> When When did you leave the country?

74:59Ukraine.

75:00>> I I would prefer not to talk about that.

75:01>> Okay.

75:02>> I stayed in the country in 2022.

75:05Uh we were shelled. By the way, when Russians were living Bucha, we were shelled. Uh it's just pure luck that he didn't hit the house we were.

75:13My husband went to the front lines.

75:16>> [sighs and gasps] >> We stayed in 2023.

75:19Majority of 2024.

75:23Beginning of 2025.

75:25And I had so multiple sources that were saying that Zelensky is not going to finish this war.

75:32People are going crazy there. I was going crazy. You're like in the closed cage. You're being shelled and bombed.

75:40You can die any moment from Russian drone or Russian missile.

75:44At the same time you can't do anything.

75:46There are no economic opportunities.

75:49There is no freedom of speech.

75:51Anything you do can be, you know, treated in a different way. The country is full of bans. Everything is banned.

75:59There are strange rules. Like there is this very strange rule that all the all the cars need to stop at 9:00 a.m. on the roads uh to listen to to the hymn.

76:15Uh it's just Yeah, like if you drive and then there is 9:00 a.m. and there is Ukrainian hymn, you need to stop, right?

76:22There is really strange agenda and it looks like surreal. The country I don't recognize Ukraine anymore.

76:29>> Everything is banned? What does that mean?

76:31>> Like >> [sighs] >> he uses bans like like there is this culture that he developed. The culture of banning, canceling people, artists, you know.

76:43Um >> Churches.

76:45>> Poets, poets, churches, writers, you know, like anything he can connect to Russia somehow. Sometimes it doesn't have any connection to Russia. It always makes us weaker. Sometimes these are Ukrainians from the past, but yeah, they used to live under like Russian Empire or the USSR. There is this whole culture of cancellation. He cancels bloggers, journalists, not personally. But but he has this tendency, he has these orders. Like for instance, in late 2023, I learned from the security service that Zelensky collected his guys and told them that they needed to go against critical bloggers. At the end of at the beginning

77:30of 2024, there were like purges of bloggers.

77:34Bloggers were called to the security service having conversations why they did that, why they said that, that they will be accusing being pro-Russian.

77:42There was a bunch of bloggers that went against the war and they said we don't need the borders of 1991.

77:50We want to stop this war and all of them were called for a security service. One guy needed to leave the country, he was threatened. You know, every story can become a bigger story, can become a story with security service. You see, it can become a story of a treason. By the way, the cases of treason raised multiple times in in four years, multiple times. Treason is just another punishment. You see?

78:16>> He sounds like a Bolshevik.

78:19>> In many ways, it feels like it's the USSR that we read about.

78:24In many ways, it is.

78:26>> So, just to restate the question, is there any way to get rid of Zelensky?

78:32>> [snorts] >> That's a good thing. You know, the problem uh >> [sighs and gasps] >> How to do this in a legal way, uh and who is going to be next?

78:44Who's going to be Who's going to fight with Zelensky on electoral field? And how to restore the electoral field in general?

78:53You see?

78:53>> Yes.

78:54>> And there are so many questions there that are not being solved at all.

78:58And I'm not sure he wants to solve them.

79:01So, one big question to all the Ukrainians and Westerners who have resources, who have the power, who are strong enough is actually how to make it in a legal field, how to finish this.

79:17>> Yes.

79:17>> And that's the answer to your question, why are Ukrainians silent? Rich people are afraid of being sanctioned. By the way, it's also illegal instrument that Zelensky uses. He sanctions his own citizens and it's absolutely anti-constitutional.

79:32And people are afraid.

79:33>> you sanction your own citizens?

79:35>> Yes, he he he uses his sanctions his own citizens. That's pretty public and in on his website.

79:43For for I don't know, he comes up with the reasons.

79:46>> [laughter] >> Working for Russia or whatever.

79:48>> And what happens when you're sanctioned?

79:51>> Uh >> [clears throat] >> your businesses can be closed, your uh accounts are frozen. Uh the former president is sanctioned. So, he says he cannot use his money anymore.

80:03>> So, just to go back to something you said earlier that I should have followed up on.

80:08When you were uh working for Zelensky, he told Putin, I think you said it was 2019, that Ukraine would not join NATO.

80:18Then you fast forward a couple of years, 3 years, and he's telling the world that Ukraine does plan to join NATO, which you said is impossible, but what do you think changed his mind? What changed?

80:33>> [gasps] >> Well, I definitely know that he wanted to influence the American administration.

80:40Um he really did want and um >> Influence the American administration in what way?

80:47>> Yeah, I mean, he wanted to get something. He wanted to get some support, friendship, you know, to get something.

80:57I remember the interview. I I remember whom that interview was given. When he first said, uh why are we not in NATO? So, [clears throat] it was a TV interview and I was preparing messages. It has never been in messages.

81:12We never discussed that actually. It was not at the table at all.

81:16And uh he was sitting there and the journalist asked him, "So, what would you tell or ask Biden about?" And he said, "Why are not we in NATO?"

81:27And I started like looking at the messages and the reason why there's NATO thing, he just came up with that.

81:33And Zelensky is the kind of person if you applaud, he's going to continue. And there were a lot of nationalists who applauded. They thought, "Oh, that's great stuff, guy. Do it."

81:45And so, he saw the applause, he saw the reaction, and since his ratings were dropping down, you know, and there was positive feedback, he just started pushing through this agenda.

81:56You know, again, I read the book uh about Biden and there was the description of the meeting in 2021. That was after I left few months.

82:05And it happened that Zelensky insisted on this NATO issue from Biden thinking that that was only Biden who was the obstacle to this. And if Biden said then they will be NATO. He didn't want to listen to any arguments, any facts, nothing. And then when Biden said, "Look, there is no consensus for this."

82:24The guy said, "But NATO is outdated organization and it's going to fall apart. Germany and France are going to leave NATO now.

82:34And as the journalist explains, um even those who really liked Zelenskyy, they were blown up by this. They they thought he went too far. But this is, you know, this is who is Zelenskyy. He's always escalating. He's always demanding. He's always proving himself.

82:53You know, I was talking to one guy who used to work under two or three presidents and he said me that he's telling everyone that these two guys, Zelenskyy and Yermak, they are just 6-year-olds.

83:06He meant because they were 6 years in power. Now they are 7-year-olds.

83:10And I myself was thinking that they behave more as teenagers, but we never had argument that they behave as adults.

83:16You see?

83:18So I believe that Zelenskyy if that journalist who was an insider at the White House says that Zelenskyy thought Biden was weak, I believe Zelenskyy thought Biden is weak and he can pressure and get the NATO thing because Zelenskyy actually doesn't have much understanding of how things are working in his own government and globally.

83:42>> Why are there so many Americans always in Ukraine? There was Americans in Ukraine. American officials are always talking about Ukraine. No offense to Ukraine, but it's a very small country.

83:50It's a very big world.

83:52But the US government was very focused on Ukraine for a long time.

83:56There were always journalists in and out of there, think tank people in and out of there, US military. Like, what was that?

84:01>> Well, I think we are lucky that there are journalists there. Um but it's a small country, you say, but it's comparatively big.

84:10>> Well, it's a large landmass, for sure.

84:11But so is Kazakhstan.

84:13>> Yeah. Oh, yeah. But in Europe, it's like the second biggest country in Europe.

84:17>> Well, if you don't count Russia, it's the biggest.

84:19>> Yes. Second largest.

84:20>> um I don't I've never understood >> Americans why they're there.

84:24>> never understood it. I mean, I think money laundering was part of it, for sure.

84:29Like Americans, I mean, the press former president's son was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. I never Did you know that?

84:37>> Uh, you know that I was a also that very famous article about Hunter Biden. And after that, Biden's administration didn't give interview to the New York Times. And I think that was a very infant behavior from the communications people. I was just a freelancer in Ukraine. If for 6 years after that, the biggest democratic president doesn't provide interview to the biggest democratic media because of some [clears throat] freelancer, you know, having evidence of of, you know, some connected topics, that's really ridiculous, you know.

85:07>> that piece with That was with Ken Vogel, I think.

85:09>> Uh, you will remember that.

85:10>> Yep.

85:12Who's you?

85:13Um, [laughter] so for the for whatever it's worth, for those who don't remember the piece, can you just summarize it? Tell us what it was about, what it said.

85:20>> Uh, it was long ago, but uh, yeah, Hunter Biden was invited to be on board of energy company that was owned by big oligarch uh, who is accused in money laundering. And um, you know, big big guy, really.

85:36>> [snorts] >> Mafia guy. And um, there was a general prosecutor who um, opened [snorts] 11 uh, criminal proceedings uh, against uh, this company. And Hunter Biden figured somewhere that that he was he was somewhere there. But I was talking to general prosecutor, and he told me that he reopened the cases, but uh, he could not prosecute Hunter Biden because Hunter Biden is an American. And uh, as Ukraine, we just cannot do that. But that was the whole story about, you know, that Hunter Biden was on the board.

86:11Uh, and obviously it was not liked by Biden administration very much. Um, and there was a huge scandal, and uh I did just my job, you know. I talked to the general prosecutor. I I went to to different people. I asked the questions.

86:27I read and translated the law, you know, I verified the information. I mean, Ken was doing major job. I was helping him and >> Yes.

86:37>> The New York Times stands for that piece.

86:39So, why should I be, you know, feeling bad about that?

86:43>> think you should be at all.

86:45>> Yeah.

86:46>> What was the reaction from the Zelenskyy government to you when that piece came out?

86:49>> Oh, oh, uh first of all, uh that was the transition moment.

86:53>> Yeah, I bet. I'm sure it was.

86:56>> Um, so he never actually reacted much. Uh it served more like a concern for him.

87:04He didn't understand much what was happening. He just asked what was the buzz about. His people asked me. I said, "Well, there was this piece, you know. I checked it. The New York Times stands for that." That's it.

87:16>> [snorts] >> So, they they had just the concern what was what was happening, but it was 2019 before Biden came to power.

87:24>> Right.

87:25>> To [snorts] be frank, yeah, I know that for Americans it's a big story about corruption.

87:31>> [snorts] >> Um, for me as a Ukrainian, I still cannot understand what would have happened that Biden administration would allow Zelenskyy to continue this war.

87:41>> I agree.

87:43>> It's like it's very hard to talk because you don't understand what's happening, really.

87:49When people are being hunted by drones, when people wake up to death and destruction, when they being abandoned, when they are being searched by law enforcement of their own country, when they don't have heat or light or water, when they have no almost money, and they have no help, and they're not heard, and they cannot leave the country, it's such a trap. And this has been happening for 4 years of a large scale, and for many for 12 years.

88:20And the only solution that is being presented today is just to say that Putin is a monster.

88:28Well, maybe he is.

88:30His army is doing terrible things.

88:34But here is the point.

88:36Keeping just offending Putin will reach nothing.

88:41>> [snorts] >> And my point is we need to do something as the country. We need to do something to start taking the decisions.

88:49We need to start putting people first.

88:52And what I see from Zelenskyy is just yes, I'm taking care about the people.

88:57Yes, people are first. And then always there is but.

89:01And after this but there is the whole bunch of misleading information.

89:11I don't believe that President Zelenskyy is >> [sighs] >> really very constructive, let's say so.

89:19I believe he has some kind of mental challenges.

89:25And so, when I'm thinking about his meeting with Biden, who as has been proved by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper had really already mental problems, I'm thinking, where did this world come to?

89:40That there is one person leader with mental challenges, and another person with mental challenges.

89:46Actually deciding on the fate of the 40 million nation, or 37 million nation.

89:52You see?

89:54I just don't believe that Ukraine is just being destroyed. I believe that Ukraine is on the verge of extinction.

90:02We have huge brain drain.

90:04And almost problems with the demography.

90:09We do know that that was the Ukrainian who actually made the program to send the first person to space, Yuri Gagarin.

90:18Now, children in Kharkiv region in the fourth grade cannot read.

90:23You see, my nation is being deteriorated.

90:27>> Yes.

90:28>> So, there is no but in this case. People either go first or they go first and then but but but but but but a lot of conditions why not to stop this war.

90:38>> [snorts] >> And you ask me why all those think tankers and journalists come to Ukraine. I think they come to every country.

90:46And they were interested in the relations with Russia.

90:50But unfortunately, there is this I think absolutely destructive contribution to very unhealthy nationalism that has become a shield for the beneficiary group in the country.

91:05>> Of course. That's Of course happens every time. I just know a lot of the policy makers in the United States who promoted this war.

91:13Um and I think that some of them wanted to destroy Ukraine. I think that. I'm sorry. It's not >> inhuman. The propaganda that we hear, it's very inhuman. It's very cynical.

91:25I mentioned to you this stuff about um Russia is collapsing.

91:30This is like already a Twitter joke.

91:32Russia is collapsing for the fourth year in a row.

91:35Mark Rutte said a few weeks ago that Russia is in super bad shape. You need like three, four months of war more to win.

91:43Where does he come from that? Tell this a Ukrainian who is dying. Tell Tell Tell this to the mother who buried her son or a child. Tell this to a father who lost three children and wife under shelling. It's impossible to explain to the people how politicians come up with the conditions to justify this absolutely unjustified war.

92:07>> Because it's not their country and they don't care.

92:10It's evil. I couldn't agree more. It's like >> believe this already. Many Ukrainians.

92:15And again, I'm not I'm not justifying Putin here, okay?

92:18>> It's not I agree.

92:19>> It's just like repeating that he is a monster it doesn't help the situation.

92:23>> I agree. It's like telling us that Iran's going to get a nuclear weapon in 3 weeks, you know, telling us that for 25 years at a certain point I don't believe you.

92:33Um so, you have asked to end with a message to the Russians to Vladimir Putin, Russian president, um in Russian.

92:42And of course I can't understand Russian. So, uh but uh you've done us I think us the United States a great service by this interview and so I would be happy to turn it over to you to speak directly in Russian uh to the Russian president.

92:58>> Thank you.

92:59>> Of course.

93:00>> It's actually quite a moving moment.

93:03Shall I look there?

93:04>> Look there.

93:07>> [snorts] >> You made me show up Shiva.

94:52>> [sighs and gasps] [snorts] >> posted video at home hack and a hoard it to the lady drone army.

95:55No doesn't need to be cute to be gentle and you mention it.

96:00I didn't wash my car. I didn't wash my car more at the stone of it.

96:05We got it to show we got it to mirror.

96:08No you see what I don't know what you see.

96:10I mean it to what you say that you need to be there to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to be No you need to be good to see that.

96:19We got to know what you mean. Yeah, I need you to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to be good to see that.

96:25No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need We got to know what you mean. Yeah, I need you to tell me what you say that you need to do me to >> [snorts] >> We got it to show we got it to mirror.

96:35We got it to show we got it to No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to be good to see that. We got to know what you mean.

96:42Yeah, I need you to tell me what No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to be good to see that. We got to know what you mean.

96:48Yeah, No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to be good to see No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to No you need to tell me what you say No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to be good to see that. We got to know what you mean.

97:06Yeah, I need you to tell me what No you [snorts] need to tell me what you say that you need to No you need to tell No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that you need to be good to see that.

97:15No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that No you need to tell me what you say that you need to No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do No you need to tell me what you say that you need to do me to see what I mean to say that No you need to tell me what you say that you need to I don't know if you will hear me.

97:44>> [snorts] >> It's you know I'm actually grateful that I didn't cry so much. I usually cry so much when I'm talking about the war.

97:54>> [snorts] >> I appreciate everything you've done and I hope this is widely seen.

98:01>> Well, thank you very much for giving me the platform and for allowing to have this frank conversation. I feel like I took a lot of from myself and that my silence could be a contribution to to this war but now I feel like I did something real and good. Thank you.

98:18>> I think you did. Thanks very much.

98:20>> Thank you.

98:21>> [music]