A Christmas and Hanukkah gift: American podcaster offers Zelensky an interview in Russian

American podcaster Lex Fridman has proposed conducting an interview with Volodymyr Zelensky in Russian.

Fridman shared this proposal on platform X, stating:

“I hope we can do it in Russian, a language we are both fluent in. Let me explain and provide some context below,” Fridman wrote.

“…it’s a language I am not yet fluent in, but I am learning it. I can speak Russian fluently, as can President Zelensky, and as can the majority of Ukrainians. A conversation in a language we both know well would result in the deepest, most dynamic, and most powerful dialogue. Of course, we would translate and dub it into Ukrainian and English. This is the Christmas and Hanukkah gift I am asking for,” Fridman said.

He mentioned that he was born in Chkalovsk, Tajikistan, and registered as Aleksei Fridman, while his parents were born in Kyiv and Kharkiv. His mother’s maiden name is Fedotova.

Fridman started his podcast in 2018, and it quickly gained traction, becoming one of the most popular tech podcasts in the United States. His YouTube channel, now with 4.4 million subscribers, has featured guests such as Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, and Oliver Stone.

Previously, Vladimir Putin expressed his willingness for negotiations during an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson.

Later, Tucker Carlson announced an interview with Volodymyr Zelensky, but it never aired. Zelensky’s press secretary, Serhii Nykyforov, denied any plans for such an interview with Carlson.