Introduction: Why Travel to Ukraine?
Many have asked why I would take my crew to a nation under fire, risking safety to conduct an interview with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The answer is simple: the truth matters, and facts matter. Our mission is to make our audience smarter and better informed. This is the kind of journalism that Daily Wire members’ support makes possible—a community fighting for your values. Join us at dailywire.com/subscribe.
Context: Russia’s Ongoing Attacks and Trump’s Peace Proposal
Last night, Russia, under Vladimir Putin, launched what may have been the largest air attack on Ukraine since 2022, blanketing the country with missiles and drones. A missile struck an apartment building in Kyiv, killing nine people and wounding 63. This is a war zone.
Yesterday, the Trump administration outlined a proposed peace deal for Russia and Ukraine, negotiated in London. The deal would require Ukraine to:
- Accept Russian annexation of Crimea, the southern region on the Black Sea.
- Cede control of eastern Ukraine, where Russia has held large swaths since 2014.
- Abandon aspirations for NATO membership, removing the possibility of invoking NATO’s Article 5 for collective defense.
- Receive no significant security guarantees from the U.S. or EU.
- End sanctions on Russia.
This proposal heavily favors Russia’s demands. However, Russia has not agreed to any such arrangement, and Zelenskyy has rejected ceding Crimea legally, as it would be a major concession without reciprocal benefits. Zelenskyy has accepted a 30-day ceasefire without preconditions, a stance he’s held for weeks, but Putin has shown no interest, as evidenced by last night’s attacks on Kyiv and Lviv.
Putin appears to be stalling, betting that the U.S. will withdraw funding and support for Ukraine, a possibility given the Trump administration’s statements. Vice President J.D. Vance emphasized this yesterday, saying the U.S. has issued a clear proposal to both sides, and if Russia and Ukraine don’t accept it, the U.S. will walk away. Vance noted the administration’s efforts to understand both Ukrainian and Russian priorities, but if Russia refuses the deal, it benefits most if the U.S. disengages.
President Trump posted on Truth Social, criticizing Zelenskyy for rejecting legal recognition of Russia’s occupation of Crimea, claiming it harms peace negotiations. Trump argued Crimea was “lost” under Obama and questioned why Ukraine didn’t fight for it in 2014. He called Zelenskyy’s stance inflammatory, prolonging the war, and urged him to accept a deal to save lives, stating the situation for Ukraine is dire.
While Trump’s frustration is understandable, the real question is why Russia hasn’t come to the table. For three years, Russian aggression has not paused, and the American public deserves clarity on why supporting Ukraine matters.
The Stakes of the Russia-Ukraine War
The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its third year, has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths—approximately 50,000 Ukrainians and 200,000 Russians—and hundreds of thousands wounded. Russia controls eastern Ukraine and Crimea. With the Trump administration pushing for negotiations, I traveled to Ukraine to discuss the crisis with President Zelenskyy.
Americans have questions about U.S. involvement, including:
- How are their tax dollars being spent?
- What is the treatment of Christians in Ukraine?
- What are Russia’s aspirations in Ukraine?
- Why does Ukraine seek to remain free from Russian domination?
Journey to Ukraine
Traveling to Ukraine was not easy—it’s a war zone. We flew 12 hours from Florida to Krakow, Poland, then drove 10 hours with security to Kyiv. The border crossing was nearly deserted, as few are entering Ukraine now. The country is beautiful, known as the breadbasket of Europe, with rolling farmland and forests in western Ukraine. My great-great-grandparents came from this region (Belarus, Poland, Ukraine), and I imagined what it was like 150 years ago, before the horrors of the Holodomor (Stalin’s genocidal starvation campaign against Ukrainian farmers), the Nazi invasion of 1941, and the mass slaughter of Jews.
Historian Timothy Snyder, in Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin, notes that Ukraine was central to both Hitler’s and Stalin’s ambitions, suffering more deaths than anywhere else in Europe during their regimes. Ukraine’s history of suffering continued post-World War II under Soviet control, which homogenized its identity. After the Soviet Union’s collapse, Ukraine gained independence, giving up its nuclear weapons for Western security guarantees—a decision that proved costly.
Torn between the West and Russian influence, Ukraine faced corrupt governments until the 2014 Maidan Revolution ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych. In response, Putin invaded Crimea and the Donbas, areas with Russian-speaking populations that leaned toward Russia but didn’t want full Russian rule. In 2022, exploiting perceived NATO weakness after Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal, Putin launched a full-scale invasion. Ukraine defied expectations, repelling Russian forces from Kyiv, though the war continues with heavy casualties and Russian abductions of Ukrainian children.
Interview with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
We sat down with President Zelenskyy in Kyiv, near the historic St. Sophia Cathedral, at a critical moment in the war. Zelenskyy appeared weary but upbeat, leveraging his background as a TV star. Below is part one of our interview.
Shapiro: Thank you for taking the time. Let’s start with your Oval Office meeting with President Trump and Vice President Vance a couple of months ago. Things went sideways—how do you feel you could have handled it better?
Zelenskyy: Our teams have had multiple meetings since—not enough to end the war, but productive ones. We’ve agreed to support a complete ceasefire, with meetings in Saudi Arabia, France, and tomorrow in London. I’m grateful to President Trump, Chancellor Scholz, President Macron, and others for supporting this path toward a stable, fair, and just peace. The challenge is Russia—they’re not ready to end the war. We rely on U.S. strength, sanctions, and influence to pressure Russia. The Oval Office meeting didn’t help Ukraine or the U.S.—meetings should light the path to peace. We respect the American people and their support, but we’re defending against Russia’s aggression. The U.S. is a strategic partner, not just a mediator. We want a common understanding that Russia is the aggressor, not Ukraine. It’s painful when Trump suggests both sides started the war—it undermines our dignity, which I’ll always defend as president and guarantor of Ukraine’s constitution.
Shapiro: Americans have questions about the nearly $200 billion allocated for Ukraine’s defense. There are concerns about pensions, war profiteering, and corruption. How do you ensure transparency for U.S. taxpayers?
Zelenskyy: We’ve been open to audits from the start. U.S. and European inspectors, alongside our own, have full access to figures at the Ministry of Defense. All reports are transparent. Russia tried to undermine U.S. support with fake news, so we invited inspectors to verify. Regarding the $200 billion figure, our internal audit shows $104–105 billion received, mostly for weapons. These funds paid for transportation, not Ukrainian companies, and supported training programs abroad. No U.S. funds went to soldiers’ salaries or pensions—those come from Ukraine’s budget, despite our 11.5 million pensioners. U.S. support has been critical for weapons, and we’ve provided detailed reports on their use, improving systems like Patriots and HIMARS. The U.S. gained valuable data from the largest land war in decades, plus drone technology developments. We’ve also shared medical innovations, reducing our wounded-to-killed ratio compared to Russia’s. Most importantly, Ukraine acts as a shield against Russian aggression, protecting NATO and sparing American families the question of sending their children to war. This is a fair exchange for U.S. support, though the greatest cost is our people’s lives.
Shapiro: There are accusations of a crackdown on religious freedom, particularly against the Russian Orthodox Church. You met with diverse religious leaders today—how do you respond?
Zelenskyy: I’m glad you saw our All-Ukrainian Council of Churches, the largest in Europe, uniting all faiths. We meet regularly, discussing issues like military exemptions for clergy or supporting families. There’s no pressure on religious groups—our dialogues are open, transparent, and inclusive, with or without cameras. The issue isn’t the Russian Orthodox Church itself but its control by Russia’s KGB and intelligence services. Legislative changes ensure no foreign control over Ukrainian churches, not a ban on any faith. St. Sophia Cathedral, older than Moscow, symbolizes our independent heritage. We want our churches free from external authorities, serving our people.
Shapiro: Reports claim people are being forcibly recruited off the streets for military service, especially in eastern Ukraine. How do you address these accusations?
Zelenskyy: Every case is investigated by the Land Forces and Ministry of Defense, responsible for mobilization. Mobilization is legal under martial law, in place since the war began. We want peace to end mobilization, but while the war continues, it’s necessary. Some cases involve corruption, like bribes to avoid service, but these are isolated, not widespread. Ukraine has 600,000–800,000 volunteers defending the country. Our law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies address these issues daily, ensuring transparency. We’re reducing such incidents, but they don’t define Ukraine.
Reflections and Next Steps
We left Kyiv Tuesday night. On Wednesday, Kyiv faced one of the war’s largest missile barrages. We’re checking on those we met to ensure their safety and will provide updates. Part two of the Zelenskyy interview will air tomorrow.
Questions to Shapiro : Where did you get the idea that Trump demanded that Crimea be given up to Russia?