Fox News anchor Bret Baier confronted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday over his attempt to “consolidate power” during wartime.
Under Zelensky’s watch, the Ukrainian government has arrested Russian Orthodox clergy, consolidated the country’s cable news outlets, and has prohibited elections from being held next spring. The Ukrainian president argued this is the way to defend his people against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Mr. President, there are critics who say that you’ve tried to consolidate power. Headlines that the Orthodox leader of Kyiv under house arrest, that you consolidated Ukraine’s TV outlets, that you ruled out holding elections next spring, calling for unity but then the Mayor of Kyiv says that you’re turning it into an authoritarian state. How do you deal with that criticism? What do you say to critics who are saying that?” Baier asked.
“I say such [a] person from government or mayors think about the war, think about how to defend our people. Don’t travel through the world each day, travel to the front line. Us people are soldiers. What they need? Do this. Not build roads for today. Don’t do it. Spend all your money to the weapon, to the drones, to the society, to the pensions, and etcetera,” Zelensky replied. (RELATED: President Invites Zelensky To White House As Biden Administration Makes Push For More Ukraine Aid)
“And don’t cry, because you’re leaders, and that’s it. That’s why– That’s why we are and that’s why we stayed because most of the people, people are not crying. People stay and fight against Putin, and we don’t have any enemies in our country. We can’t have time for this and we don’t have it. We have only one enemy, this is Putin, and that’s it,” he continued.
Baier asked him if he will defend democracy after the war, to which Zelensky claimed he will. He said the war is defending both “democracy” and “freedom.”