“Father says: Finish them off”: President Zelenskyy in Dmytro Komarov’s special project “Year. Behind the scenes” talked about communication with parents, a safe future for Ukraine and the defense of Bankova
On April 28, the premiere of Dmytro Komarov’s special project “Year. Voice-over”. In the first issue, the journalist showed one day in the life of the president of Ukraine: he went with Volodymyr Zelenskyi on a business trip to Mykolaiv and Odesa, where he met with Swedish partners, talked with his team, and also recorded an exclusive interview with the commander-in-chief during the train journey.
As Zelensky admitted, in the first days of the full-scale invasion, there were many different opinions among his colleagues and Western partners about how to secure the life of the president of Ukraine. There were different proposals and versions of where the president should go and where to hide. In an interview with Dmytro Komarov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy explained why, in his opinion, it was important to stay in Kyiv.
“I think that if I left, there would be a greater risk of capturing the capital. In the middle of the state they also said: “The main thing is to save the president. And even if we only have Western Ukraine, you should be the president there. Then we will start to rebuild and restore something, to de-occupy the territories.” I did not agree. I remember reading in books about the Second World War, about the occupation of Kyiv. I know what the capital of any state is like. If the capital falls and the leader runs, there is no state,” the president said.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he did not discuss the decision to stay in Kyiv with his family.
“My family knows me. Such a dialogue would weaken me,” the President of Ukraine said briefly.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the presence of enemy DRGs in Kyiv in the first days of the full-scale invasion, particularly in Pechersk, and expressed his thoughts on the possible defense of Bankova if these groups got there.
“I had no doubt that we would survive. Our boys defended. I was sure that we would get help from our partners. He believed that it was impossible to completely occupy Kyiv. – said the head of state. – I think that no one would have been taken prisoner, because we had prepared a very serious defense of Bankova. We would be there until the last one. We had boxes with weapons and cartridges at different points of Bankova”.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi admitted that he has a weapon and he skillfully wields it.
The president also commented on his attitude to the fact that he is constantly in danger and is the main target for the Russians.
“You can’t think about it all the time. Yes, it is necessary to realize and understand that there are some safe moments, one must pay attention to them. Nevertheless, it is impossible to think about it all the time,” Zelenskyy admitted.
Volodymyr Zelenskyi also shared his vision of a safe future for Ukraine.
“Our task is to become stronger than we were. We simply have no other way out. We must do everything possible to weaken the Russian Federation. We must defend our land, de-occupy Ukraine. Thus, I believe, this will already be a step to weaken the neighbor. Find security guarantees, preferably an international security union. Let’s see if we will be accepted into NATO or not. But we have a high chance of building international security guarantees. We must make Ukraine the safest state in the world. We have everything for this – people’s desire, experience, partners. These three things are enough,” said the President of Ukraine.
In the conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky, Dmytro Komarov did not miss the topic of the family. The President talked about communication with parents.
“My parents know everything, they are here, in Ukraine, at home. They ask the same questions as other parents, like have I eaten. The father also says: “We are investigating. Well done Finish them off,” said the President of Ukraine.
Dmytro Komarov’s special project “Year. “Behind the scenes” is a series of full versions of interviews with the most influential military leaders of Ukraine. In it, the journalist will show what was not included in the “Rik” project, as well as reveal new historical facts and details of well-known events that could not be discussed before.