President Zelenskyy: Peace Is A Huge Compromise, The Horrific Atrocities Of Russian War Crimes!
In a Nutshell
President Zelenskyy states Ukraine is making an enormous compromise by accepting a ceasefire despite Russian atrocities including mass torture and murder in Bucha, where 500 people were found in mass graves. He rejects Trump's framing that compromise is needed, emphasizing that the core issue is Putin's denial of Ukrainian statehood and determination to rebuild the Soviet empire. Zelenskyy maintains he needs weapons to defend Ukraine, not evacuation, and warns that without justice for war crimes, any peace will fail.
These notes were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
President Zelenskyy described the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion on February 24, 2022. He explained that he did not expect such a massive assault and was with his family when he received the news. He told his wife and children that the war had started, expressed his love, promised to call, and immediately left to respond to the crisis. Satellite imagery captured a 64-kilometer-long Russian military convoy heading toward Kyiv, with approximately 200,000 Russian troops advancing on the capital.
The President recounted the overwhelming nature of the attack, stating it was simply impossible to defend against such numbers. Missiles rained down on the city during those horrifying moments. He remained in a bunker built inside his office. President Biden called and offered to help evacuate him from Ukraine, but Zelenskyy responded, "I need ammunition, not a ride." He refused to abandon the Ukrainian people. Volunteers began showing up, and Ukraine's army grew from 200,000 to 800,000 soldiers. Through determined resistance, Ukrainian forces pushed back the invaders.
Zelenskyy described the liberation of Bucha as his hardest day during the war. He personally visited the city and witnessed the aftermath of Russian atrocities. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere - children, adults, and elderly people who had been butchered with their hands tied, tortured, and buried in pits. He questioned how one could forgive such acts, referencing the discovery of mass graves containing 500 tortured people. This directly addressed President Trump's statements about needing to find a compromise, emphasizing that such crimes cannot simply be forgiven.
When asked how he was doing, President Zelenskyy explained the immense difficulty of surviving alongside his country and people. He described the uncertainty of whether tomorrow would come, answering that it would because he is inseparable from his family, relatives, and country. Despite the challenging reality, he maintained optimism and a belief that good wins.
He acknowledged that living without hope is impossible, though internally one can feel shattered, especially when families lose loved ones - children, spouses, or parents. He noted that this internal breakdown is much harder for those families than for himself, despite his own challenges.
Zelenskyy shared a particularly devastating story captured in photographs showing the aftermath of a missile strike on a playground. The missile traveled so fast that warning sirens provided no help. Children were killed instantly, along with adults who happened to be walking by. Parents witnessed their children being torn apart through their windows. The President described bringing flowers for adults and toys for children to the site, acknowledging that his pain was not even 10% of what the parents felt. He emphasized the horror of a missile cutting short a child's life who had seen nothing yet.
He noted that many children among the fallen never lived in peace, having grown up with nightly bomb shelter alarms. Some of these children have died without ever knowing what peace was.
The President confirmed he does not sleep, describing himself as a responsible person who speaks every night with air defense operators about what is needed. Modern technology enables constant communication about pulling resources from different regions. Getting eight hours of sleep became something entirely new during nearly five years of war. He does not complain about this burden.
The strongest emotional moments occur when presenting the Hero of Ukraine award to parents who lost a child in combat. He described ceasing to exist in those moments, looking into parents' eyes. Some parents quietly ask for a hug from a man whose strong hand they feel. These parents knew their children could die as soldiers, but knowing and losing are completely different experiences.
Zelenskyy identified his children as what keeps him strong. He explained that he must set an example for them - being strong and brave while not hiding pain. He believes human strength lies in acknowledging feelings rather than claiming not to feel anything. He wants his children to be proud of him.
President Zelenskyy was born in the Soviet Union when Ukraine was part of it, but grew up in an independent Ukraine after 1991. He described his family as regular and not very well off. His father was a professor from an academic family. He received an education, proper upbringing, and parental love - three things he considers sufficient to be grateful to his parents.
As a child under ten, he changed his mind frequently about future careers, at various times wanting to be a diplomat or border guard. He later attended law school but became more interested in media during his studies.
At age 17, Zelenskyy became interested in comedy and joined a comedy group, working as a script writer and occasionally acting until age 26. At 26, he started his own company. At age 28, he won Ukraine's Dancing with the Stars competition. He also voiced Paddington Bear in the Ukrainian language film and appeared in feature films between ages 34 and 37.
Most notably, he starred as a school teacher who accidentally becomes president in the satirical TV series "Servant of the People." The show was about a person from ordinary people without political background becoming president. The series was very popular, and the concept resonated with the changing mood in Ukraine.
After the occupation of Crimea and Donbas, Zelenskyy felt something was going wrong. He had been doing business with Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia, but the situation changed him. The sense of betrayal by Russia influenced his decision to enter politics. He emphasized this was not a calculated plan but rather a coincidence between the mood in society and his own inner determination.
Zelenskyy stated that the war began in 2014 with Russia's occupation of Crimea. He described it as a "creeping occupation" where Russia initially denied involvement, with troops appearing as regular people or "little green men." Ukraine made the mistake of not pushing back immediately. He believes that if Ukraine had received clear orders to defend its borders, the full-scale war of 2022 might not have happened.
The President's grandfather fought through World War II from start to finish. His grandfather's four brothers were all killed by the Nazis, with only his grandfather surviving. Many relatives on both sides of his family were killed by fascists. He found it bizarre and absurd when Russia accused Ukraine of having Nazis, given Ukraine's history of being 100% occupied during World War II and losing huge numbers of soldiers fighting against Nazi Germany.
Zelenskyy explained the background in simple terms: The Soviet Union was an empire that collapsed because people wanted freedom. Empires cannot survive on freedom - they require autocracy, tyranny, and control of information through an "iron curtain." When the Soviet Union fell apart in 1991, countries became independent, including Ukraine.
Putin, described as a purely Soviet man and former KGB intelligence officer, viewed the fall of the Soviet Union as the greatest collapse of the 20th century. He aimed to rebuild the empire, believing Ukraine is essential to this project. Ukraine was considered the "forge of talent" for the Soviet Union, with significant scientific and engineering capabilities, including rocket manufacturing and nuclear weapons.
Putin started by occupying Chechnya, destroying it completely. The transcript cuts off mid-sentence while discussing this history.
The same military commanders who fought in Chechnya and completely destroyed it are now operating in eastern Ukraine. In Chechnya, nothing was left - no buildings, nothing remained. A huge number of people were killed in Chechnya during the occupation.
After occupying Chechnya, Putin decided to bring back the empire, starting with Ukraine as a free state that wants to join the European Union. Ukraine is described as smart and intellectual. The start of any occupation always requires a pretext, and language is always the pretext used.
Putin began the occupation with Crimea, where there were many Russian-speaking Ukrainians. Crimea has a history of multiple deportations and expulsions of the Tatars, making it a multiethnic peninsula with indigenous peoples. The occupation of both Crimea and Donbas was based on dividing society through the language issue, which is described as totally unfair and despicable toward the people.
Putin claimed to be protecting Russian-speaking people, which wasn't true since nobody had taken anything from anyone. The east of the country borders with the Russian Federation.
The day before ordering troops to invade Ukraine, Putin stated that "Modern Ukraine was entirely and completely created by Russia, more precisely, Bolshevik, communist Russia." He claimed this process began immediately after the 1917 revolution, describing Soviet Ukraine as the result of Bolshevik policy that can be called "Vladimir Lenin's Ukraine." He denies that Ukraine is a nation of its own, claiming Ukraine never had a tradition of genuine statehood.
Putin's claim that a country's history can't start in 1917 is considered ridiculous. Ukraine has churches that are a thousand years old, painted by Ukrainian master professionals. Ukraine is the heir to Kievan Rus, a great state well known in Europe with an advanced civilization, its own art, and traditions. Russia came after Ukraine already existed.
Putin cuts out all history before the October Revolution of 1917 because he's talking about the history of the Soviet Union, not Russia or Ukraine. This signals to Russian people, especially children who receive information in schools without deeper investigation, that their life is the Soviet Union and that's where Russia is heading back to.
The full-scale war started on February 24, 2022. Missile strikes were launched immediately from every side. Troops entered from Belarus because it was the closest route to the capital. They advanced on Kyiv from all directions, with the main goal being to seize the capital.
The timing relates to a Biden-Putin summit where rumors emerged about possible escalation against Ukraine. Ukraine had been warning about this risk for months. The US acknowledged it could happen, and Ukraine requested defensive weapons, but couldn't imagine a full-scale invasion would occur. They had seen Russian occupation in Crimea and Donetsk/Luhansk regions but never expected overnight missile attacks.
President Biden offered to evacuate Zelenskyy in the first minutes or days of the war. Zelenskyy requested weapons instead, asking to "give us weapons, help us defend the country." Many Europeans also offered evacuation assistance.
A day before the invasion, European leaders spoke with Putin, who promised there wouldn't be an invasion - he lied to all of them. Zelenskyy asked President Biden to impose sanctions on Russia preemptively, but Biden stated sanctions would be imposed if there was an invasion, post-factum. Zelenskyy believes this was a mistake.
In October 2021, the Director of National Intelligence and CIA Director briefed US leadership and top NATO allies that Putin was making concrete plans for a multi-front invasion. European media published satellite imagery showing 100,000 Russian troops, tanks, and field hospitals. The CIA Director flew to Moscow in November 2021 to warn Putin directly against invading.
In December 2021, the US government declassified intelligence maps and troop estimates predicting an invasion force of up to 175,000 troops to prevent Russia from using false flag operations as pretext. In late January/early February 2022, the US National Security Adviser publicly warned that an invasion could begin at any time.
In Belarus, Russians were conducting annual military drills. When briefed to NATO, nobody fully believed invasion was imminent because everyone thought Putin was saber-rattling and trying to scare everyone. European leaders called Putin, who said he wouldn't invade. The Russian defense minister was even invited to these exercises.
Everyone thought Russians were bluffing because Putin wanted to push Ukraine into Minsk agreements to give them Donbas and recognize it as not Ukraine, and also recognize Crimea as not Ukraine. This was the format of pressure.
Zelenskyy didn't think there would be a full-scale invasion because if partners knew it was coming, they would take preemptive steps like sitting Putin down and telling him he was out of his mind to wage war in the 20th century.
When missiles started flying during the night, Zelenskyy got ready, told his wife and kids the war had started, and went to the office. He was the first or second person to arrive and called everyone in to start the work day.
Zelenskyy told his wife "Wake up quickly. The war has started. I love you. I'll call you" and ran to the office. His family was taken to another location by security detail because there was shooting around the president's office.
Zelenskyy acknowledges that this happened during Biden's presidency and didn't happen under Trump. He notes that Trump had a special relationship with Putin and still does. While Trump being on friendly terms with Putin could have potentially prevented a full-scale invasion, neither Zelenskyy nor Trump are eternal in their presidential seats, and Putin's main goal of occupying Ukraine would remain unchanged.
Russia deployed between 150,000 to 200,000 troops across the Ukrainian border. Ukraine's total active troops at the time were almost the same number. Russia's main forces were in the east in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where the strongest grouping was stationed. Ukraine's strongest grouping was also stationed there to hold back the Russian forces.
Nobody expected Russia would go through Belarus and advance on the capital, which is why Ukraine didn't have strong troops defending Kyiv. The entire Ukrainian army was smaller than 200,000 at the time. Ukraine later changed the law to make it 200,000 plus up to 250,000, but before that it was even smaller.
When the full-scale invasion started, mobilization occurred with people volunteering. The Ukrainian army grew from 200,000 to 800,000. The Russian presence across all directions on Ukrainian territory was around 700,000 troops.
Late February satellite imagery captured a massive 64-kilometer Russian military convoy backed up along a single highway leading to Kyiv. The Russians captured the Chernobyl nuclear plant and blockaded Kyiv.
People mobilized and brought up troops to fight day after day. The Russians cut off food, water, and everything completely. They expected people to run. People came to Zelenskyy saying Kyiv was cut off and surrounded, with Russians suggesting he hand over his powers. Zelenskyy told them where to go and refused to surrender.
Joe Biden was the first to call offering evacuation, saying "We are ready to help you evacuate because the invasion, Kyiv is surrounded." Many Europeans also offered evacuation. Zelenskyy's response was "I need ammunition, not a ride."
Zelenskyy worked from a bunker deep underground built inside his office. The office was secured by snipers and special services. From the bunker, he had communications and spoke with all leaders. He did his first video call with Europeans pleading with them to unite and help Ukraine, which worked.
Zelenskyy couldn't abandon Kyiv, the office, or the people - that would be betrayal of human decency and the constitution of Ukraine. Russia was putting out information claiming he had fled, been spotted at the border, seen somewhere else, or in other countries. This forced him to go out into the street two or three times a day to communicate with people and show he was in the office on Bankova.
The military later told Zelenskyy that his staying meant a lot to them. They stood strong, fought, defended, and liberated Kyiv because they believed they were liberating their capital, their home, and their president who didn't abandon them.
When asked if he was scared with a nuclear power invading and 64 miles of military equipment heading toward him, Zelenskyy described it as not about fear but being laser focused on what needed to be done. He was working at such speed with dozens of calls with leaders every day, running outside, talking to military, making decisions constantly.
Zelenskyy only realized the full impact about 20 days into the war. The first few days he didn't sleep at all, sleeping about 15 minutes because his entire job was communication, talking in circles with every leader.
In the first few days, the primary focus was communication with every leader. The work involved sleeping approximately 15 minutes at a time while maintaining constant contact with international partners. Flawless logistics were established for weapons delivery. Leaders were contacted at night, including Polish President Andre Duda, with a warehouse facility in Poland serving as a coordination point.
Approximately 20 days into the war, the situation began crystallizing into defined steps and the realization that war and tragedy had begun, requiring forward movement. The initial phase was crisis management focused on unblocking areas, bringing back troops, breaking the siege of Kyiv, and striking back. Communications, food, water, and population needs were the most crucial priorities. Many cities were cut off, and the banking system was disrupted, but Ukraine's digitalization enabled many essential services to continue functioning.
Ukraine was faster than the Russians in responding to the invasion. While Russian forces broke through quickly toward Kyiv, once they were stopped at Kyiv, Ukraine became much faster in the information space. The wave of Russian disinformation was shattered step by step until it became clear that Russia had lost the capital, necessitating an intensified push forward. Partners recognized Ukraine's determination not to give up and began providing assistance.
Russian forces carried only 3 to 10 days of combat rations along with formal dress uniforms intended for a victory parade. State media accidentally released a pre-scheduled victory declaration on day three. The fundamental Russian miscalculation was refusing to recognize Ukraine as a separate nation and separate country. Putin viewed Ukraine as part of Russia, believing that marching in with hundreds of thousands of men would cause the president to flee, people to hide, and the Ukrainian flag to be replaced with the Russian flag within three days.
When Ukrainian forces hit Russian tanks, they discovered parade uniforms in military vehicles, confirming the intention to capture Kyiv in three days and hold a symbolic spectacle of pseudo-victory on Independence Square. The core misunderstanding remains: Putin still does not understand or admit that Ukrainians constitute a different nation and different people.
Regarding Trump's claim that a Russian general's wrong turn into farmland stopped the war from ending in one day, the response clarifies that Russian forces surrounded Kyiv, reached the capital, and occupied towns on the approach. Some towns fought back while others were bypassed. The decisive factor was the loss of dozens to hundreds of armored vehicles near Kyiv and Hostomel. Russian armor breached into Kyiv streets, where civilians burned the vehicles with debris. The issue was not a single general's error but rather a fundamental failure to understand what would be required for the operation.
Russia needed approximately 300,000 to 400,000 troops to take Kyiv, but required twice as many men. Taking Kyiv meant leaving troops behind to hold captured towns on the approach routes, requiring a massive force to maintain control over substantial territory. The main mistake was failing to estimate or even realize there would be resistance. This contrasted sharply with the 2014 Crimea operation, where dozens to at most hundreds of Russian personnel seized Crimea from 3 million people, whereas Kyiv had 3 million people who actively defended it.
Hostomel Airport was crucial for Russian plans to land massive airborne forces. The Russian strategy involved blocking Kyiv, capturing airports, TV towers, and information infrastructure, cutting off supplies of food and weapons, and creating chaos by removing leadership. A brutal battle occurred at Hostomel where Ukrainian forces burned Russian positions. Russian paratroopers parachuted into the airport and initially seized it, but Ukrainian National Guard and special forces launched an immediate counterattack. Ukrainian forces shelled and destroyed their own runway while air defense units shot down several Russian transport helicopters. The airport changed hands multiple times before Ukrainian forces regained control.
Desperate battles occurred for every town around Kyiv, including Hostomel, Bucha, Irpin, and several smaller settlements. The National Guard served as internal troops who were already positioned when the full army could not yet reach these areas. Bucha was occupied by Russian forces with horrific consequences recognized internationally as genocide. Hundreds of people were tortured and buried in mass graves, with approximately 500 people found in one grave with hands tied.
When Russian forces occupied towns on the approach to Kyiv, they engaged in pure looting, killing residents and stealing household appliances including microwaves, refrigerators, and televisions. Acts included tying hands, torture, sexual violence, and burying people in yards and pits. The discovery of mass graves containing tortured adults and children transformed public understanding of the war's nature. An elderly survivor of Bucha's occupation who had also lived through World War II stated that even the fascists never treated people with such cruelty.
Journalists were brought to Bucha immediately after liberation with instructions not to touch anything. Bodies of children, adults, and elderly people were found scattered on streets. Russian forces held hunting expeditions from military vehicles, shooting at running civilians. The blockade of Kyiv continued until liberation, with residents treated as slaves in occupied villages.
A ceasefire and negotiations represent a huge compromise given the atrocities witnessed. No one can step into the shoes of relatives whose children were tortured, and no one wants to forgive these acts. Forcing people to forgive when their children were tortured is impossible. A ceasefire is advocated as the only viable step because the hatred will not dissipate without time and justice. The position of holding current lines constitutes an enormous compromise that has been repeatedly explained to the President of the United States.
Bucha represents the hardest day, with bodies scattered on streets in an unprecedented sight. The experience created an irreversible change, generating a desire for revenge previously absent. The transformation involves recognizing pure evil that butchered people without any possibility of simple forgiveness based on political or economic considerations.
The experience has created two different worlds and a complete re-evaluation of values. The only dream is ending the war with justice, including trials and moral solace for those who lost everything. Without justice, the risk of ongoing revenge and military actions remains. A just peace requires showing a path where the guilty will be punished, even if not immediately.
The war has intensified the desire to be with children and wife, craving warmth and human connection. Before the war, relationships could become secondary to business and politics, but the war has demonstrated that these people matter most. The years that slip away during intense moments make family connections increasingly important.
Alina Zelenska has been a rock and source of stability, with mutual support based on real feelings of love and respect. The couple finds each other interesting, which is considered the most important factor in their relationship.
President Zelenskyy's mother calls every single day, with her first question being whether he actually picked up the phone. She continues calling throughout the day until contact is made. Conversations include inquiries about his well-being, the children's welfare, and when Putin will end the war.
Crimea remains occupied, along with the Azov Sea region including Mariupol, Berdyansk, and Kerch, blocking Ukrainian access to the Black Sea. Oleshky currently has people and children trapped without food. Kherson was reclaimed after fierce fighting but remains split by the Dnipro River with Ukrainian forces on one bank and Russian forces on the other. Zaporizhzhia remains under Ukrainian control. Donetsk and Luhansk regions are partially occupied, with the map showing Ukrainian-controlled areas including Kharkiv, with Russian-controlled areas including parts of Luhansk oblast, while Zaporizhzhia remains Ukrainian-controlled.
Russia currently controls approximately 18 to 19% of Ukraine's territory. Maps differ between the two sides, with each presenting their own narrative to their populations. Russian maps tell one story to their people, while Ukrainian maps reflect a different assessment of the situation.
Russia continues attacking other parts of Ukraine through missiles and drones. Recent strikes have killed people in Lviv in the western part of the country. A missile struck in Kyiv, where 23 people were killed, as witnessed during a visit with the British Secretary. The city of Kharkiv remains under constant shelling. Rivne and Lviv experience fewer strikes because these areas are far from the line of occupation, the contact line, and the Russian Federation.
Russia is attempting to pull territory from eastern Ukraine. Putin wants to seize Zaporizhzhia, which he cannot currently take, and Mykolaiv, though he does not publicly state these targets. Russia has already lost cities that Ukraine has liberated. Russia wants the entire east of Ukraine, specifically Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, Druzhkivka, and areas leading into the Dnipropetrovsk region, including Pavlohrad. Nikopol, an industrial, engineering, and manufacturing hub and the economy of Ukraine, represents a critical target.
Ukraine maintains heavily reinforced defenses in these key areas. Surrendering these cities would create enormous risk, allowing Putin to seize additional cities if he continues pushing forward. Security guarantees remain uncertain, with no assurances that promises will be honored. Ukraine remains open to security guarantees, including NATO membership, though Russia continues sending signals against this.
The biggest compromise Ukraine is making, given the high number of deaths, is agreeing to a ceasefire and stopping the war. However, Russia demands Ukraine withdraw even further, raising questions about where security guarantees would come from if territory is surrendered.
The possibility of Russia escalating to nuclear weapons crosses everyone's mind given what has already occurred. However, Zelenskyy assesses that Putin will not risk using nuclear weapons because it would eliminate remaining allies, including countries like America and China. Using nuclear weapons would be too dangerous even for nuclear powers, as it could establish a precedent for other conflicts worldwide. Despite this assessment, Ukraine is dealing with a man and system where Putin will hold onto power until the end of his life, only leaving the Kremlin when his life ends.
Trump has made a deal with Russia for diesel due to the global energy crisis. Trump requested Ukraine not attack Russian energy infrastructure, specifically refineries, because Russia supplies a large portion of diesel fuel worldwide. Trump stated that Ukraine could do whatever it wants to Russia but should not hit refineries because this creates a world problem affecting farmers and ranchers with diesel fuel shortages. Trump also suggested Ukraine needs a new president.
Diesel exports from Russia have negligible volume and zero impact on prices in the United States. Ukraine strikes Russian energy infrastructure in retaliation because Russia strikes Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Russians hit Ukraine's energy grid, leaving people without power, oil, gas, and diesel. Ukraine retaliates by striking Russian diesel infrastructure because Russia makes money on diesel and spends it on weapons.
Zelenskyy has proposed an energy ceasefire to President Trump, suggesting both sides stop targeting energy infrastructure to give people light. Putin refuses an energy ceasefire agreement. Trump cannot reach this agreement with Putin and has instead placed responsibility on Zelenskyy, claiming diesel prices in America are rising because of Ukrainian strikes. This explanation is completely untrue. Zelenskyy maintains a good relationship with Trump but finds it wrong and unacceptable that Russia's aggression and killings are being pinned on Ukraine.
The focus is being deflected away from Iran and the Middle East, where the entire volume is blocked and the Strait of Hormuz situation represents the root of energy problems. Zelenskyy is being made the target as Ukraine's leader. He requested air defense missiles to protect Ukraine's energy sector, noting that Europeans are funding the missiles and that they are not being requested for free. The missiles have been given to the Middle East instead.
Trump can bring Putin to the negotiating table very easily because Putin needs this. Trump has sanctions on his desk that Congress voted for, which could be implemented. The reason these are not being used remains unclear, possibly due to a special relationship or economic deals. Midterms are coming up, and there may be concern about energy prices in America more than about Ukraine.
Diesel prices do not depend on the volume Russia sells. American companies export energy resources, and the president cannot ban private sector exports because they generate revenue. All secrets and mysteries eventually come to light with time, which favors those who are open and ready for honest dialogue and fight.
America finds itself in a very tough situation because the world has gone crazy, with conflicts involving Russia and Iran, and people wanting blood and wars. America should stay a great nation, be strong and peaceful, allowing people to work, be home with children, pray, and have family dinners. America deserves tranquility and peace. Ukraine is grateful for everything America has done and will not forget this support.
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