“Blows on the hands”: Zelenskyi commented on corruption and statements about the theft of weapons in Ukraine

Ukraine did not make money from the war, and those who tried were “beaten on the hands”, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in an interview with Lex Friedman, which was published on January 5.

The podcaster said that the fight against corruption is important to the newly elected US President Donald Trump and entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is part of his team. He asked Zelensky about the theft of weapons and money in Ukraine.

“For the most part, we did not receive money, we received weapons. And where we saw risks that something might happen to weapons, we hit everyone’s hands. And, believe me, this is not only about Ukraine,” the president answered.

He also denied that Ukraine allegedly sells the provided weapons abroad.

“On the entire path of obtaining, there are various people and companies everywhere who want to make money, because everyone makes money in war. We did not make money from the war. If we found someone, believe me, we beat everyone on the hands,” said Zelensky.

Regarding the fight against corruption, the president assured that he is trying to fight it.

“To say that we do not have corruption is to lie. We just openly talk about it. We are really struggling with this. The most influential person before me is in prison (before Zelenskyi’s tenure – ed.) oligarch at the time of independence. And no one could do anything with him. Neither the USA could do anything with him, nor Europe,” Zelensky said.

The President expressed confidence that corruption in Ukraine will be overcome, but for this “it will take a little more time.”

In September 2024, 74% of surveyed Ukrainians called the fight against corruption the most important reform. Reforms in the field of national security, defense, and the judicial system are also priorities, according to the research data of the Rating Sociological Group.

On January 4, the American podcaster Lex Friedman announced on Twitter that he had recorded an interview with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

Lex Friedman – born Oleksiy Oleksandrovich Friedman – is an American computer scientist, podcast host and artificial intelligence researcher. He was born in the USSR, has Ukrainian-Jewish origin. Friedman’s family moved to the United States in 1994 when he was 11 years old.