CNN's Christiane Amanpour asks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about the status of Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia's occupation of Kherson. Watch the full interview airing on Thursday on CNN International at 1 p.m. ET. #CNN #News
‘Executed in silence’: Zelensky on counteroffensive against Russia
In February most experts expected Ukraine to surrender within a week. 9 months into the war Ukraine is standing tall and proud and Russia is on the back foot. What an inspiring performance by the Ukrainians!
Well to be fair, pretty much “everyone” believed so, even most inside FSB and GRU. Heck even many Ukrainians did. And to be frank, it could have gone that way even if “just a few variables” came out differently. But Zelenskyj not taking that ride out of town as offered, and his words (wether accurate or not) I think had a big impact on general morale, not just of the military but the population overall. The mentality of it, of even the politicians staying to fight, literally. The media footage of grandmas making molotov cocktails, soon followed by the radio “dialog” from Snake Island cemented a proud and fierce defiance.
I also think the international reactions and responses had a substantial impact on how it pivoted. It’s been argued whether or not it was ideal, but the US keeping the world posted and informed of the intelligence during the days leading up to the invasion, meant both the US, European countries and other friends and allies around the world, and the Ukrainians themselves – started preparing for what might come before it happened. Military aid started flowing in even a little bit _before_ the invasion started, so they knew they had the West in their corner to support them (to which extent no one could predict, but it was there). And in the early days, families separated because the men had to stay and fight… Migration and immigration had had some rough patches in much of Europe the last while, so there was extensive worry and a bit of fear, of how would this be handled. But for the fathers, grandfathers, sons, brothers and husbands (and female soldiers!) – seeing that their neighbor countries and the rest of Europe (+) stepped up and welcomed their women, children and elderly with safety, compassion and massively mobilised resources… I think that made a big difference in hope, faith and morale – knowing that their families were safe and well cared for. Especially for all the hundreds of thousands of boys and men that _weren’t_ soldiers, that had little or no military training and experience at all – they found themselves with so many heartbreaking worries they had no idea how to deal with. Including how to fight and survive, which itself was compromised by heads and hearts overburdened with all these worries. So being able to make the safety and wellbeing of their families not need be one of those things, made a big difference in their ability to cope with their own situation, and to stay sharp and focused on their tasks and missions.
VERY TRUE!👌
Maybe Russia should surrender in a week 🤣
We the US citizens should give them much more money. but that is by far not enough, cause this war could last for years
Proud of this man… He is trying to salvage the country that my great grandfather lost to Russia.
@Дамир Муллин Putin has put Russia back on the menu.
Not even Hitler managed that feat, Putin must be very proud of himself
@Дамир Муллин Maybe you should read the Entire history of Ukraine, dating over a thousand years back, way before Moscow was nothing but a muddy marsh.
@Agantuk Common people have no choice, I am Romanian, we are in the same situation, our leaders sold the country to the west for nothing. We buy gas from USA at a price 5 times higher than we got from Russia, while the gas reserves of our country are given for nothing to USA. It’s a huge robbery. In Romania The govern has 4,9 % support, the parliament 3,3 and the USA 4,9% support. And the propaganda and censorship are worse than during communist times!
@Madalina Pop the lord has left america. We have spit in his face and turned our backs. So we’re on our own. God will send a strong delusion to the unbelievers. Keep your head up. Jesus is coming soon
@Jack G Unfortunately, indeed USA turned its back to God and now they impose their decadent values on Eastern Europe, that are over 90% Christian countries. But God is with us!
In his heart, Volodymyr Zelensky is still an ordinary, working class Ukrainian.
He’s not a descendant of the aristocracy, he’s not born into wealth or privilidged.
He’s just an ordinary man who is now doing extraordinary things, and that is the very definition of what a Hero is.
@giorgia fontanblue You contradict yourself and you lack information; maybe that’s why.
Zelenski ‘s regime is a dictatorial one and it’s worse than communism, because they also practice there NAZI ETHNIC EPURATION. They have nothing to do with democracy, just as the west/USA/nato has nothing to do with keeping democracy in Ukraine/Romania and so on. Ukraine is the second most corrupt country in Europe! Check the poles if they were not cleared already from the internet. I did, right after the invasion. I heard a journalist saying that Ukraine is the second more corrupt in Europe After Russia and there it was! 2-3 points behind Russia, very far from other countries.
USA/EU enslave Eastern European countries and use them economically for their own interests. USA has an open purpose in weakening and conquering economically Russia, its officially declared. They give a damn about Ukrainian people, just like zelenski gives a damn about his own people or other nations on the earth.
I think you and all the people who think like you, should start to wake up and leave your tiny comfortable boxes of self-sufficiency and arrogance, and truly fight for democracy. How can you brag about democracy in Ukraine and EU (I suppose u are Italian) when you SUPPORT CENSORSHIP IMPOSED on ALL WESTERN WORLD BY zele, biden and ursula? Noam Chomsky said: in USA today is more censorship than it was in URSS, and I agree. In Western Europe is also more censorship than we had during communism! What democracy is that, when there is no freedom of speech at the order of zelensky, of course very convenient for EU and USA?
Ukraine is fighting for the USA right to place atomic weapons and military bases on its territory, bordering Russia. That is all about! Zelenski is killing or sending to jail everybody who speak against his regime and you talk about democracy? He is culturally and ethnically cancelling or killing people opposing his views! I am nostalgic?! No, I am AWARE of the level of lies and brain washing that is going on. You are living in a bubble of soap, watching an endless soap opera about the “hero” zele. Open more channels of information please. Think, what if I am right and you are wrong, because you are.
Have a good day.
@Madalina Pop Lies. You like your rubels?
He is a puppet hanging by the strings of the USA and WEF.
@Stacey-Lee Robberts Russia’s aim was to take Ukraine, take Kyiv and overthrow the “nazi regime”. This was clearly stated by Putin. Zelensky could have taken his family and fled the country and left them all to it, but he stayed. He stayed and tried to get help where he could – that is what he has been doing. He knows Ukraine could not fight the Russian dogs on their own, so has gone cap in hand to everyone asking for help. There is nothing wrong with that. He is running a country in a time of war and everything that that entails – it isn’t just military action but national actions needed to keep the country running. Putin stays holed up in his comfortable surroundings ordering death and destruction. Zelensky has had to fight the huge Russian autocracy and their propaganda crusade. So, Stacey-Lee, he is not ashamed to go “begging” to keep his country free. He isn’t talking up the war so people will forget Iraq – that is a stupid comment. The leader of the country cannot go on the front line and it is his job to make sure Ukraine is getting the support it needs. Russia is doing all it can to destroy Ukraine in every way and Zelensky remains the face of defiance against the terrorist and imperialist actions of Russia.
@Frederik Hansen what do u call lies? I would not sell my soul for anything. I get no rubles or anything else. I understand you live in delusion, just like most of the westerners and because you lack arguments you launch attacks on the people. You accuse me that I am being paid! :-)) Well, I am not! so what makes me say such things, start an investigation. Its time to leave the comfortable box and accept the hard truth.
Have not seen a president yet in my generation that became so popular, he knows how to speak so well, brought the EU so close together. And running his country in such hard times. This all from a man who started as a comedian. I have deep respect for this man and i think many world leaders can take a example of him.
@Helen R BTW the putler line is old and means nothing, everyone knows its the Ukrainians that are nazis
@Helen R how about America’s history of unwanted interference in other countries?
Corporate M$M optics fool many, as can be plainly evidenced since the spring of 2020
@CV6300b You have a very funny mindset.
Europe was never so divided. Don’t confuse the decisions of the leaders (put in place by USA) with the will of the people and the reality. Suveran movements erect everywhere in Europe. In Romania, the second hand colony of USA in Eastern Europe, just like Ukraine, the govern has 4,5 support of the population, the parliament has 3,3 % support, USA has 4.9% support of the population. My Ukrainian friends said 75 % of the population is praying that USA goes home and leaved them alone. So do we in Romania. So next time you hear about the great support for the NATO of Romania, think twice. About 80% of the population want Ukraine to give territories to Russia (they are historically Russian territories inhabited by Russians in majority anyway) and to have peace. We have been enslaved by USA and EU worse than by the soviets or equally bad. Romania is buying from USA gas at 5 times higher prices than the russian ones while USA got for free basically the Romanian reserve of gas for the next three years.
zele started as comedian and ended up as the most despicable criminal of all times.
Such an extra ordinary person. A mix of warmth, bravery and excellent leadership. A man for the history books. And by God, I hope he survives the war. Wanna celebrate Victory day with him and all Ukrainians.
@Rosie Javier wow. The almost all the Russian propaganda talking points. You do know no one believes you? Not even countries like Serbia or China believe Russia’s fake elections. Russia is loosing and loosing bad and will litterly suffer for generations. And well deserved. And country built on lies, theft and murder can’t be ignored in a civilized word. The invasion of Ukraine is one fo the worse geo political mistakes in history. And the biggest looser are the ordinary russians
@ahenstew85 August 24, 1991.
You can catch him in Red Square as he’s being packed up and hauled off to gulag🤣
@Rosie Javier most of the people don’t know what a criminal he is together with Ukrainian state. When I know the reality and I read how people adore this criminal I get sick. I have friends in Ukraine, they pray the USA goes home and the war stops. This is USA ‘s war with Russia till the last Ukrainian and they will move to Romania to have another “unprovoked” war with Russia, even though neither Ukrainian/Romanian/ USA don’t have the support of the population.
This is mass formation, all those brainwashed otherwise, kind and intelligent people praising a criminal and the war. Shameful times we live in.
who ? where ?
From this year on, “comedian” will be a honorary title. Zelensky is the right man at the right moment.
He sure is up to the challenge, and so are his people.
I can’t wait for something comedic abt putin after all this,
“US President Bill Hicks”
Just let that idea settle in your head for a moment, swirl it around, let it breathe, savour the feeling of it, I’ve got one more
“US President George Carlin”
And his a good powerful comedian president of Ukraine I like him and Putin his a laughing Clow of China and North Korea and 5 other puppet countries his
nope.
What a lovely dude he is, and his wife seems lovely too. Imagine how tired he would be. Over 8 months since he would have had a good nights sleep……….Слава Україні🔱Героям Слава
He is one of the most inspirational leaders of our generation.He is on the right side of history.His choice to stand up to terrorism, mass murder of his people by a Russian terrorist who pretends to share deep historical roots with the very people who he ruthlessly kills,maims and other unimaginable acts of brutality.History shall remember this man as the greatest tyrant of our time and he should wake up and smell defeat.On the other hand President Zelenzsky will be remembered as the man who dared to say no to a neighbor who stabs you in your back and like a really dark shadow kills your children by the night.
La história te demostrará lo equivocado que estás. No estoy a favor de la guerra pero este supuesto héroe no es como lo han pintado. Solo esperar
You are completly out of touch with reality.
Oh my! Change the channel because you are in danger! Amnesty International proved he was using his own people as human shields! What are you talking about? for 8 years Ukrainians are killing their own citizens in Dombas and Lugansk (Russians/Romanians) in a attempt of ethnic purification, they are not allow to use their language to pray in their own language…
He was used and agreed to imposed censorship in all western world! he is killing everybody who even dares to dream of having a different opinion, he is maleficent. He is the one to agreed to wear USA war against Russia by killing his own people and ruining their country.
If he will not ruin the entire world (him and his masters), the history will remember him as the greatest criminal of all times, worse than Hitler.
God Bless Ukraine and President Zelenskyy, his Wife and children 🙏
Absolutely terrible what they are being put through, prayers 🙏 and love from Ireland 🇮🇪.
@Dorin Ciobanu GOD slave Cristian Nazis and Jews Ukraine for Iraq Libya Syria Yaman Afghanistan and PALESTINE people…. GOOD for Muslims people!!!
$10 for a bottled coke and a cheap a s s cardboard pizza? They can all be vaporized like my paycheck for all i care..
@Maccy Bear hhhahaa very subtle! very good one! ja, all of them!…mansions.
@Dorin Ciobanu Domnule Ciobanu, I believe you are the one that is misinformed. The story starts many years ago when USA organized the Maidan in Ukraine, in order to take over Ukraine. There are audio recordings with Victoria Nuland organizing the hit, at some point USA even announced how many people have to be killed in Maidan so that the public, like you, is touched by the story. Then they took over Ukraine, they started to brutally kill Russians from the historically Russian territories, they cut off the water to Crimeea, they were super nasty, so to speak, you should know as a romanian of the drama of the romanian people from Bucovina de Nord and the rest of the romanian teritories, how Ukranians used them to fight against Russians while the Ukrainians MEN and women from Dombas were relocated in Bucovina to be safe, all the ethnic epuration policies against romanians, how they are forcedly assimilated and have no right to learn or print books in their national language, great democracy! great leaders!
Anyway, in the past 8 years Ukrainians with the help of USA weapons had an open war against the Russians in Ukraine. an before the unprovoked invasion they increased according to ONU with aver 240% or so the attacks on Russians. Its Ukraine who started pushed By USA. You can watch Gândul, the set of shows with Valentin Stan about Ukraine if you care for truth. Also John Pilger, John Mearsheimer and many others. In fact is USA who started the war by wanting to place military bases and atomic weapons at the border with Russia. This is the war about. You and I care more about the Ukrainians than zelensky or Biden care. Ukrainians from the Eastern parts of Ukraine are mostly Russians and Romanians or Russophiles, they don’t want to fight against Russians, they are Eastern Orthodox affiliated to Russian Patriarchate. You really lack a lot of information, otherwise you would think differently.
I have friends in Ukraine, the person said more than 70% are praying that USA is going home and Russia takes them over. These people have been hunted and killed for 8 years by the nazi military and governs of Ukraine. They want peace. We all want peace except the USa and UK who make tones of money from this war…and zele….
@Dorin Ciobanu There’s no UKR it’s a ground where NATO army has been present since 2008. Weapons, training ,intelligence. This conflict was engineered by USA UK long time ago. RF is already beating NATO – just look at their economies, USA military reserves depleted down to 40% USA strategic oil reserves down a quarter. NATO applied sanctions on Russia and every single one of them backfired, look at this way , RF currency is the top performing currency in the world. RF energy sales are 200% higher than before the conflict begun. Also the Euro lost 30% of its value. Retired American generals told the government that Russia has massive weapons arsenals that they’ve been stockpiling non the last 60 years. NATO has depleted its reserves and can’t keep making new stuff so it’s sending older T-72!tanks form eastern EU. The US industrial complex has told Biden that they cannot keep up with demand due to high material costs and are years behind on their weapons orders. Keeping this up for another 2 years will complete destroy EU economy and people will rise up if they can’t lay their electric bill. NATO thought this was going to be a easy and with all the world pressure on Russia , its economy was going to collapse and Russia declare bankruptcy. None of that happened. Watch all far right governments win elections in EU. People are sick of this BS.
Zelensky has balls. Not only is he risking his own life but the lives of his family. That would be my greatest fear. Zelensky is brave, dedicated to his country and will to take on Goliath to get his freedom. He has to be half Irish 😂
No he is Jewish.
Stop it he’s not half Irish
Yes, David needed a small stone to defeat Goliath.
If Zelensky had balls he wouldn´t be following Biden like a little lamb and letting his country be destroyed in American proxy-war
Can’t help shedding a few tears of empathy for Zelenskyy, for Ukraine and its people. They have been through so much, yet throughout this war, they have all shown grit, courage, and perseverance; the kind of which we can only dream of if we had been thrust in their shoes. I hope the West will continue their support of Ukraine as it finishes the war with Russia and as it rebuilds its country. May God’s favor and blessing be upon Zelenskyy, Ukraine and its people.
I hope he poses one more time for Vogue and Cosmopolitan before those Russian missiles get him😭
@Maccy Bear DO you think when you sad that? Common Zelensky brave because Biden say!
you utter mug
@porn theater mop bucket I sense lot jealousy in this dum comment you not the only one who is jealous of the real man zelensky
Can’t say the same of that schizophrenic in hospital at the moment this invasion will kill him before the three years dr give him
The majority of Ukrainian civilians are here in Germany cashing in their welfare cheques and enjoying our unemployment rate which they caused. They stick their noses up at our kitchens, the menus and overrate their being here. Most of the EU no longer support the war. God punishes the bad guys.
What beautiful words for his wife. He’s definitely an example to us all 👍
@Anastasiia F Until he made enough money haha
@Cazador60140 we all noticed he is Jewish :-))
@porn theater mop bucket out of respect for the brave hero. 🙁
First lady, give me a breakfast in the morning too.😂😂😂
This man has described what everyone has thought would be impossible to pull off – an entire nation strictly united with no possible way of separation, led by one man who wants to save his dear country and retake the precious freedom it once had. They also broke the once wide-spread rumor of the Russian military might, which has finally happened to be a paper tiger. America and the West’s weapons delivery to Ukraine has shown how we can come united despite our differences to save our brethen in their times of need, something no one in our time could have possibly forsee, ever. Every single penny spent on the war is just worth it. Money well spent.
Thank you, dear America, for your unstoppable support to Ukraine, and thank you, every free, freedom-loving nations and democracies, for aiding Ukraine and taking the right side of history. We are forever thankful to Ukraine and Zelensky. We will never forget this very moment, this one moment that has change so many point of views everyone had on Ukraine and Russia. We are going to come out of this conflict victorious, strong AND prosperous. No force in this world will ever come even 1/10 times close to a fraction of the West’s true strength. Forever we are united, under the banner of democracy, freedom and prosperty. 🇺🇸🇺🇦🇩🇪
Looking and mostly listening to Mr Zelensky is like seeing a good friend that we missed for few days. And I agree that he gets his strength from his wife because it is impossible not to notice that feeling of strong support she conveys to him, just by standing next to him.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
“plans are discussed in a very small circle, and executed in silence”. Glory to Ukraine!!!
He’s a remarkable leader and a wonderful human being. God bless him and all of the Ukrainian people.
Congratulations, a very good interview, the honest, sincerity and affection shone through brightly, thank you.
It is such a joyous feeling to see this great hero and patriot break a little smile with his great support and wife after such a long haul. I hope this gruesome situation for this country and its people come to end very soon.
Small nuclear exchange with Russia would be worth saving Ukrainian lives wouldn’t it ?
@club4ghz Fearmongering on behalf of the Kremlin much?
Zelensky epitomises the Ukrainian spirit of stepping up and facing the challenge. My heart goes out to the people of Ukraine for all of this senseless and uncalled for suffering.
That madman was going to detonate a dirty bomb in his capitol city to blame Russia and expand the war. Ukraine already shelled a nuke facility and had blamed Russia until they were called out by neutral investigative parties..keep supporting the Nuclear Jewish Nazis of Pooh💩kraine
Zelenski looks so tired and sad, but he carrys on and on and on. Such a smart and caring person. Not many at all have achieved this in a war, let alone in so many countries. His passion for his country and it’s people is unmistakable. His country has survived because of his determination. His famialy has stood strong beside him. Ukrainen soldiers react to his call because they are brave and determined to protect famialy and country. When the two came together they are unbeatable. Now ALL the countries that made promises to Ukraine must to there part as well. I believe all the countries are reacting with respect for Zelenski, and will finish this war backing Ukraine. God bless Ukraine and all that dwells there and protect this country.