Russian President Vladimir Putin's interview with Tucker Carlson saw the Moscow leader speak at length about the history of Ukraine, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, and Putin's historical justification for his invasion of the country.
The interview—recorded on Tuesday and first released exclusively online via the Tucker Carlson Network—ran for more than two hours, during which Putin also shared his thoughts on topics such as AI and on the next president of the U.S.
During the interview, Putin said he had once directly appealed to Zelensky to address right-wing influences in Ukraine, claiming that Zelensky's father had fought against Nazism during World War II.
The Claim
According to a Kremlin translation of his interview with Tucker Carlson, posted online on February 8, Vladimir Putin was asked: "Do you think Zelensky has the freedom to negotiate the settlement to this conflict?"
Putin replied: "I don't know the details, of course it's difficult for me to judge, but I believe he has, in any case, he used to have. His father fought against the fascists, Nazis during World War II, I once talked to him about this.
"I said: 'Volodya, what are you doing? Why are you supporting neo-Nazis in Ukraine today, while your father fought against fascism? He was a front-line soldier.' I will not tell you what he answered, this is a separate topic, and I think it's incorrect for me to do so."
The Facts
Putin's claim that Zelensky's father fought Nazis in World War II is not true.
Oleksandr Zelensky was born in 1947, two years after the end of World War II.
In 2023, Oleksander Zelensky was awarded a lifetime scholarship by Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers for, according to an online translation, "outstanding merits in the field of higher education to scientific and pedagogical workers." A list of recipients, released by the Ukrainian government stated their name, year of birth, professional title and workplace.
The entry for Zelensky's father stated "ZELENSKY Oleksandr Semenovych — born in 1947, professor at the State University of Economics and Technology."
The same date was reported by French newspaper Le Monde, in a biography of Zelensky's childhood, published in February 2023.
"After the war, the future president's grandmother left her refuge in Central Asia with a teaching background and gave birth to Zelensky's father in 1947," Le Monde reported.
Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment.
Zelensky's grandfather, however, did fight in World War II. In 2019, President Zelensky traveled to his native city Kryvy Rih to visit the grave of his grandfather, Semyon Ivanovich Zelensky, as part of Victory Day, marking the defeat of Adolf Hitler's forces.
The Washington Post translated a statement from Zelensky's Facebook page that accompanied the visit.
"[Semyon] went through the whole war and remain[s] forever in my memory one of those heroes who defended Ukraine from the Nazis," he wrote.
"Thanks for the fact that the inhuman ideology of Nazism is forever a thing of the past. Thanks to those who fought against Nazism—and won."
Whether Putin meant to refer to Zelensky's grandfather can only be speculated upon. Putin has long maintained claims of neo-Nazi influence in Ukrainian politics. While far-right extremism and anti-semitism influence in Ukraine's history and society is well known, including the genesis of the Ukrainian paramilitary Azov Brigade, Putin's characterization of Nazi influence in wider Ukrainian society, history and politics has been widely disputed.
The Ruling
False.
Volodymyr Zelensky's father did not fight in World War II. As records and other reporting states, he was born in 1947, two years after the war. However, Zelensky's grandfather did fight against the Nazis.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek's Fact Check team
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
