Russian President Vladimir Putin has been described as “darkness personified” by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In a recent interview, Zelenskyy claimed that Putin’s top ally, Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko, apologized to him for the war that took place in 2022.
According to Zelenskyy, Lukashenko expressed his regrets about Russia’s invasion on the second or third day of the war. He allegedly said, “It was not me. Missiles were launched from my territory and Putin was the one launching them.” Zelenskyy also claimed that Lukashenko apologized and said, “I have witnesses and I apologize. But believe me, that’s what he told me. ‘Volodymyr, this is not me. I’m not in charge. These are just missiles. This is Putin.'”
It is no secret that Belarus, a landlocked country to the north of Ukraine, has close ties with Moscow. In fact, Russian missiles sent towards Ukraine have also been launched from Belarus. However, Zelenskyy did not let Lukashenko off the hook. He responded by telling him, “you are a murderer too.”
In a surprising turn of events, Lukashenko allegedly urged Zelenskyy to hit the Mozyr Oil Refinery in Belarus. However, Ukraine has yet to hit this major Belarusian asset. Despite these claims, Lukashenko’s representative, Natalia Eismont, denied that he had apologized to Zelenskyy. She told Russia’s RBC television, “No apologies were made by the president of Belarus to Zelenskyy, for the simple reason that we have nothing to apologize for.”
During the interview, Zelenskyy also compared Putin to Voldemort, the infamous villain from the Harry Potter series, and described him as “darkness personified.” He also praised US President-elect Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts and called for more action to stop Putin.
Zelenskyy stated, “I love President Trump’s message and we share a position on peace through strength.” He emphasized the need for Ukraine to be strong in order to survive, saying, “We need to be strong and Ukraine has to be strong enough, otherwise what for? Like Voldemort who must not be named. Yes, he’s [Putin is] like Voldemort.”
He further added, “He is darkness personified. He does not love his people. He loves his inner circle. It’s only a small part of the people. He doesn’t love them. Why? I’ll explain. You cannot send your people to another land knowing that they will die.”
Zelenskyy also suggested that Putin is “deaf by his very nature” and criticized him for not focusing on technology like Elon Musk does, but instead, “standing there bare-assed pontificating about tribes.” He also dismissed claims that Putin is willing to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine, saying, “Do you think he wants to end the war? That’s what you suggested. I think this is naive. I’m sorry. With all due respect, it’s naive to think he wants to finish the war.”
According to Zelenskyy, Putin’s plan is to end the occupation of Ukrainian territory, but he believes this is in Putin’s “sick head.” He stated, “That is why I told you don’t wait for Putin to want to stop the war. Pressure him so that he is forced to stop the war, that’s important.”
The timing of this interview seems to be an attempt to appeal to President-elect Trump’s supporters ahead of his return to the White House. It is expected that Trump will push for a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. Zelenskyy pleaded for Trump not to leave NATO, saying, “Putin would like to see a weak NATO without Trump. And a weak Ukraine, which cannot survive on the battlefield, simply cannot survive.”
The interview came shortly before Russia claimed to have captured another Ukrainian town, Korakhove, as it marches towards the city of Pokrovsk. On the other hand, Ukraine’s own troops are making “worrying” progress in the Russian region of Kursk, according to pro-Kremlin Russian bloggers.
The ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia has caused significant damage to both countries, with the UK revealing the true extent
