Russian President Vladimir Putin does not care for his people or his country, aaccording to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In an interview with U.S. podcaster Lex Fridman, released on January 5, Zelensky criticized Putin’s decision to send young Russians to die in wars of aggression.
“He doesn’t love his people. He loves only his inner circle,” Zelensky said, responding to Fridman’s suggestion that Putin might be a “serious person who loves his country.”
“What is his country? He happens to consider Ukraine his country,” Zelensky countered, pointing out that Putin has previously waged devastating wars, including the brutal Second Chechen War.
Putin rose to power during that conflict, which spanned 1999–2000, as Russia seized control of Chechnya and its capital, Grozny, through a destructive siege.
Reflecting on this history, Zelensky asked, “Who are the Chechens? A different people: another faith… another language. One million people eliminated. How did he kill them — with love?”
Heavy Losses in Ukraine
Zelensky emphasized the staggering toll of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, claiming that 780,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded since the invasion began.
He accused Putin of sending unprepared 18-year-olds to fight in wars far from home, citing other examples of Moscow’s military interventions in Syria, Georgia, Africa, and Chechnya.
“He’s sending 18-year-old boys to die… It’s not that the fascists came to his country, and he needs to defend it. He came to ours, and he sends them,” Zelensky said.
Though exact figures are hard to verify, The Economist recently reported that Russian casualties in Ukraine now surpass its combined battlefield losses in all post-World War II conflicts.
