Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Agrees to Appear on Lex Fridman’s Podcast
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that he will be one Lex Fridman guests on his podcast, agreeing to record the episode in Ukraine following an invitation from the host shared on X.
The Lex Fridman interviews have been gaining momentum in the past years, and the latest news shared on X earlier this week revealed that President Zelensky’s interview will be a three-hour podcast. President Zelensky responded on Saturday, “Agreed. See you In Ukraine,” confirming his participation.
https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1862934627796635752
X’s Role in Lex Fridman Podcast Guests
The power of X came into full effect during this exchange. One user was quick to comment on how the micro-blogging platform facilitated podcasts arrangements like Lex Fridman with well-known guests.
Musk replied, “True,” adding that on X, one can directly contact world leaders. “Where else can you request, and a leader replied directly?”
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1863130907336704080
Musk positions X as a way for leaders and influential figures to bypass traditional media and speak directly to the public. Zelensky’s inclusion on Lex Fridman guests list presents the social platform’s role in defining modern discourse.
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is present on social media, sharing updates on the Russia-Ukraine war and interactions with world leaders. The President’s posts on X and Telegram are key sources of information during the war, most probably one of the reasons why he will be added to the Lex Fridman list of guests.
Over the last several years, Lex Fridman, once a little-known academic researcher, gained fame for his popular Lex Fridman guests and the podcast. The Fridman approach with his guests is engaging in lengthy and often deeply personal conversations with guests like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Donald Trump.
Zelensky, reportedly follows news that podcaster Joe Rogan was approached to host him, though Rogan skeptically commented, “They tried to get Zelenskyy on, I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’
Zelenskyy told Sky News, the “hot phase” of the war in Russia and Ukraine could be over if unoccupied parts of Ukraine came “under the NATO umbrella.” He underlined that NATO membership for Ukraine would help to return territories in a political way, while underscoring that he had rejected any notion of giving away land to end the war.
Final Thoughts
The metamorphosis of political discourses on X, including exchanges like those between figures like President Zelenskyy and Lex Fridman, raises some reputation questions.
While Musk presents and markets X as a place for direct leader-public communication, its political role ignites mixed reactions. Some praise it, others criticize it, others worry about content moderation and narrative shaping, as seen during the 2024 US Presidential elections.
With rivals like Threads and Bluesky gaining traction, X’s future user base and reputation will likely be shaped by the mushrooming of political discourse worldwide.
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