Ludmila Zhernovskaya23:27, 20.01.25

He said the Ukrainian president “did not take advantage of the chance” to demonstrate his willingness to negotiate.

American podcaster Lex Friedman has criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for his “harsh words” toward Kremlin leader Putin.

He weighed in on his recent conversation with Zelensky at the end of a podcast with historian Jennifer Burns. Friedman said “harsh words of disrespect” from a leader talking about another leader “at a historic opportunity for peace” could hurt the negotiations:

“I gave the president every chance to demonstrate a willingness to negotiate, knowing that both Trump and Putin were listening to that conversation. I don’t think he took advantage of it. Instead, he went after some very harsh words for Vladimir Putin. That’s understandable, but it’s not directly productive for the negotiations.”

He also added that achieving peace “requires compromises to avoid further death and suffering,” so the Ukrainian president must take Putin seriously.

Zelensky’s interview with Friedman

The Ukrainian president spoke to the podcaster for over three hours. During the conversation, Friedman told him that Putin should be viewed as “a serious person who loves his country and people.”

In response, Zelensky recalled that the Kremlin ruler sends Russians to fight on foreign lands, but he only loves his own entourage .

(C)UNIAN 2025