President Zelenskyy: Peace Is A Huge Compromise, The Horrific Atrocities Of Russian War Crimes!

Episode of The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · October 22, 2026 · 1 h 50 min

Steven Bartlett interviews Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the personal toll of war, the 2022 invasion, Bucha, peace terms, and his dispute with Donald Trump.

Summary

In this episode, recorded on October 16, 2026, Steven Bartlett interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose English voice was rendered with AI from human translation. Zelenskyy described not sleeping, nightly contact with air defense operators, and the pain of presenting posthumous awards to parents of fallen soldiers, saying his children keep him grounded. He recounted his upbringing in Soviet-era Kryvyi Rih, his law studies, his career in comedy and media, and starring in Servant of the People, insisting his move into politics was driven by the 2014 occupation of Crimea rather than a calculated plan.

Zelenskyy argued that the war began with the annexation of Crimea and that Ukraine's failure to resist then encouraged Putin, whom he portrayed as seeking to rebuild the Soviet Union. He said President Biden erred by refusing preemptive sanctions, that the invasion's timing was Putin's choice regardless of who led the United States, and described the first day of the invasion, refusing evacuation offers, working from a bunker, and appearing publicly to counter Russian claims he had fled. He attributed Russia's failure at Kyiv to its refusal to see Ukrainians as a separate people and an underestimation of resistance, rejected Trump's account of a general's wrong turn, and described the battle at Hostomel airport.

Zelenskyy called the liberation of Bucha his hardest day, describing mass graves and torture and saying it made him want revenge for the first time; he argued that a ceasefire along current lines is already a huge compromise and that a just peace requires accountability. He discussed his wife and mother, Russia's occupation of roughly 18 to 19 percent of Ukraine, Russian demands for the rest of Donetsk region, and why he doubted Putin would use nuclear weapons.

In the final section, Bartlett played a Trump clip blaming Zelenskyy for strikes on Russian refineries and rising diesel prices. Zelenskyy called the claim false, said Russian diesel volumes do not affect U.S. prices, said strikes are retaliation for attacks on Ukraine's grid, proposed an energy ceasefire or air defense missiles instead, and suggested Trump was deflecting from the Strait of Hormuz crisis. He said Trump could easily bring Putin to the table by adopting tougher rhetoric and sanctions.

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    Cold open and how Zelenskyy is doing

    After a teaser, Zelenskyy described surviving alongside his country, hard but hopeful.

  2. 3:05

    Sleeplessness and the burden of grief

    Zelenskyy spoke of nightly air defense coordination, a playground missile strike, awarding grieving parents, and drawing strength from his children.

  3. 10:54

    Childhood, comedy and Servant of the People

    Zelenskyy recounted his Soviet-era upbringing, law school, comedy and media career, and how the TV series preceded his real political move.

  4. 19:44

    When the war began and Putin's imperial aims

    Zelenskyy argued the war began with Crimea in 2014 and explained Putin's ambition to restore the Soviet empire.

  5. 33:32

    Why 2022, Biden and the warnings

    Zelenskyy discussed the 2021 Biden-Putin summit, Biden's refusal of preemptive sanctions, and why few believed an invasion would come.

  6. 43:00

    Invasion day and the Trump counterfactual

    Zelenskyy described learning of the invasion, leaving his family, and argued it did not matter who was U.S. president while Putin ruled.

  7. 49:07

    Defending Kyiv and refusing evacuation

    Zelenskyy explained Russia's assault on Kyiv, the army's growth through volunteers, Biden's evacuation offer, and his decision to stay visible.

  8. 1:05:20

    Russia's miscalculations and Hostomel

    Zelenskyy rejected Trump's wrong-turn explanation, cited parade uniforms and too few troops, and described the battle for Hostomel airport.

  9. 1:14:57

    Bucha and the limits of forgiveness

    Zelenskyy described the atrocities discovered in Bucha, his desire for revenge, and why a ceasefire is already a huge compromise.

  10. 1:23:47

    How the war changed him and his family

    Zelenskyy reflected on loneliness, his wife, his daughter growing up, and his mother's daily calls.

  11. 1:33:19

    Occupied territory, Russian demands and nuclear risk

    Zelenskyy mapped the occupied areas, explained why ceding eastern cities is dangerous, and said he doubted Putin would use nuclear weapons.

  12. 1:41:08

    Trump, diesel and the path to peace

    Zelenskyy rebutted Trump's diesel accusations, proposed an energy ceasefire, and said Trump could pressure Putin into negotiations.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

People

In the conversation

Discussed

  • Vladimir PutinPresident of Russia
  • Donald TrumpPresident of the United States whose conduct of the Iran war is the episode's main subject
  • Joe BidenFormer president whose economic approval is compared to Trump's
  • Olena ZelenskaFirst Lady of Ukraine and Zelenskyy's wife
  • Andrzej DudaFormer President of Poland whom Zelenskyy called at night early in the invasion

Topics

More from The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

From the publisher

What does it truly cost a human being to lead a nation through an existential war while the world watches from afar? President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reveals the psychological toll of continuous survival, the grim realities of geopolitical negotiation, and what keeps him still standing. Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the President of Ukraine, having led the nation through its darkest historical hours following the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. A former lawyer, comedian, and actor turned wartime leader, he transitioned from satirical television to the global stage. His current administration focuses on securing Ukraine's sovereignty, managing international diplomacy, and defending democratic freedom against imperial aggression. In this episode, he explains: ■ The Burden of Command: How constant psychological pressure and nightly military briefings push his endurance to its limits under relentless wartime pressure. ■ The Fatal Miscalculation: Why Russia's catastrophic military mistake came from a failure to recognize Ukrainians as a distinct people willing to fight for their freedom. ■ The Turning Point of Atrocity: How witnessing the aftermath of war in liberated towns transformed a political conflict into deeply personal tragedy where easy forgiveness became impossible. ■ The Cost of Staying: Why the refusal to evacuate Kyiv was driven by the absolute need to remain visible and prevent the nation from surrendering out of fear. ■ The Geopolitical Reality: How true diplomatic peace requires holding aggressive regimes fully accountable for their crimes rather than shifting the blame onto global energy markets. This episode was recorded on October 16, 2026. The English audio for President Zelenskyy uses AI voice technology, with permission, based on human translation and editorial review. Chapters 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:07 How Is Zelensky Really Doing? 00:06:15 "I Don't Sleep": The Human Cost of War 00:09:53 What Keeps Zelensky Going 00:11:24 Growing Up in Soviet Ukraine 00:…

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 24, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Politics·History