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- This was never 
about Ukraine for me.

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This was always about 
American values and democracy

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and what it is,

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and where it comes from,

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and what it means.

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This guy is an actor

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and he's a good one.

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You know, he knows that this 
has to be "Henry V" now,

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and it has to be real.

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And that's where this sense 
of character and courage

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and spirit that I think 
was really inspiring to me.

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came from.

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- Coming up on "Laura 
Flanders & Friends",

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the place where the people 
who say it can't be done,

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00:00:34,666 --> 00:00:37,133
take a back seat to the 
people who are doing it.

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Welcome.

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(playful bright upbeat music)

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The award-winning actor,

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director and writer, 
Liev Schreiber,

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heralded by "The New York Times"

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as the finest American theater 
actor of his generation

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is known for his stirring 
Broadway performances in plays

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like "Glengarry Glen Ross," 
"Talk Radio," and "Doubt,"

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and television shows 
like "Ray Donovan",

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leading seven seasons of 
the acclaimed Showtime drama

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earning five Golden Globe 
and three Emmy nominations.

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Schreiber also starred 
in and executive produced

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"Ray Donovan: The Movie,"

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and recently played 
opposite Nicole Kidman

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in "The Perfect Couple."

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You may have seen 
him in films too,

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such as "Spotlight," "The 
Manchurian Candidate,"

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"X-Men Origins: Wolverine," 
and many others.

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What you may not know is 
that he is also a prominent

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and committed activist.

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Most notably, Schreiber 
has been active

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on behalf of the 
nation of Ukraine,

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which is currently locked

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in a multi-year 
existential battle

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against the invading 
forces of Russia

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and its dictator Vladimir Putin.

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Recently, Schreiber 
had the opportunity

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to interview the Ukrainian 
president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy,

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as part of a new documentary 
titled "Meeting Zelenskyy."

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The film is a 
fascinating portrait

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of Ukraine's embattled leader

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and showcases rare footage 
of Zelenskyy's early days

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as an actor, 
director, and writer,

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as well as a major entrepreneur 
who founded and led

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one of Eastern Europe's 
largest media companies

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making 40 feature films

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and creating highly 
popular TV shows,

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including one that's been called

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Ukraine's "Saturday Night Live."

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The film also charts Zelenskyy's 
surprising rise to power

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following another 
of his hit shows

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called "Servant of the People"

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in which he portrayed a 
disgruntled high school teacher

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whose sharp criticisms 
of his country's leaders

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result in his upset 
election as president.

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Life imitated art.

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In a few moments,

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we'll talk with Liev Schreiber

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about his encounter 
with Zelenskyy,

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how and why he got 
involved in the film,

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what the Ukrainian leader 
is like behind the scenes,

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and what hopes and fears 
Schreiber has for Ukraine

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as it enters perhaps the most 
perilous part of its battle

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to maintain its sovereignty

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in the face of 
overwhelming pressure.

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But first, here is a clip

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from the film 
"Meeting Zelenskyy."

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- [Liev] On the morning 
of February 24, 2022,

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Vladimir Putin launched a 
full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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- [Reporter 1] Russian 
troops are now 20 miles

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outside of the capital.

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- [Reporter 2] It's going 
to be extremely difficult

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for the Ukrainian military 
to defend from this.

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- [Liev] The world's second 
largest military superpower

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had just declared war

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on a country it once 
swore to protect.

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As missiles indiscriminately

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destroyed homes 
and infrastructure,

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millions of women and 
children fled the country

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while men of all 
ages and vocations

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lined up to defend 
their homeland against 
impossible odds.

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For those of us watching from 
the comfort of our couches,

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things weren't looking 
good for Ukraine.

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Pundits and prognosticators

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were predicting that Kyiv 
would fall within the week.

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- As we've been 
warning for months,

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Kyiv falling is a 
real possibility.

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- [Liev] But on day 
two of the invasion

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on the street just outside 
the president's office,

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something remarkable happened.

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(Zelenskyy speaking 
in Ukrainian)

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- [Liev] His message was simple.

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I am here, we are here.

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But the sentiment it evoked

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struck a nerve not 
just in Ukraine,

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but with millions of 
people around the world.

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Who in the face of increasingly 
authoritarian regimes,

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were now seeing that it was 
possible to face down bullies,

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that this was the 
function of a democracy.

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- Liev Schreiber, what 
a pleasure to meet you.

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Thank you so much for your work

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over the years and on this film.

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- Thank you, Laura.

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Really appreciate it.

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- It truly was, for 
me anyway, revelatory.

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For you, I understand it 
was somewhat personal.

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How so?

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- I made a film in 2005

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called "Everything 
Is Illuminated,"

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which is an adaptation of 
Jonathan Safran Foer's book,

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"Everything is Illuminated."

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It was actually an 
adaptation of a short story

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that he'd run in the New Yorker.

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And during that time,

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part of the reason that I 
wanted to make that film

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was because I have 
great grandparents

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and one grandparent that 
are from the region.

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And so I did a little 
tour of Ukraine

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trying to find my 
grandfather's village

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and wrote a film 
about an American

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who goes to Ukraine 
to find his heritage.

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And of course then 
read Jonathan's book

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and thought that was much better

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and asked him if 
he'd let me adapt it.

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And I adapted that 
and made the film.

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So when the war 
broke out in 2022,

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a lot of people were calling me

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assuming that I 
had some connection

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or would know how 
they could help.

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And I was disappointed that 
I didn't know what to do

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and I didn't know 
how we could help.

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And so I called some friends

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and we decided after reading

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Humanitarian Outcomes' 
report that year,

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that the best use of money,

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if donations was 
the way to help,

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was to localize aid.

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My maternal grandparents 
were Ukrainian.

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So when a group of friends

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asked me to help them 
start an organization

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that would fast track 
humanitarian aid

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and support to Ukraine,

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it was easy to say yes.

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Hi, how are you?

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I was invited to sit 
down with the president,

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discuss how else we 
might be able to help.

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After our first meeting,

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the actor in me 
couldn't help but wonder

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if the actor in him

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hadn't played some small role

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in his extraordinary response 
to Putin's aggression.

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Who was this former comedian

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from a small steel town 
in southern Ukraine

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who seemed so ready

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and willing to face 
down impossible odds?

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What were the elements 
that shaped him

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and how had he and 
his fellow Ukrainians

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00:07:28,766 --> 00:07:30,800
risen to meet this 
incredible moment?

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And the opportunity arose 
to speak with him at length.

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I jumped at it.

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- You've mentioned this 
idea of him as an actor,

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but what else were 
you curious about

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as you prepared to meet with him

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for this extended 
conversation on camera?

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- I don't want to 
diminish this president

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to just being an actor,

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but you know, if 
given the chance,

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I want to promote actors 
here a little bit, but the...

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- I mean, we had very 
set kind of stereotypes

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of who he was in the U.S.

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or maybe we didn't even 
have enough information

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to have a very good stereotype.

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But certainly it does 
seem as if, you know,

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we in the U.S. and maybe Putin

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and certainly people 
in the White House

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might have had Zelenskyy wrong

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thinking he was, quote, unquote,

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"Just an actor,"

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"Just a comedian,"

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"Elected kind of by chance."

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- I guess that's, you know,

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a good actor is so much 
more than a performer.

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A good actor is someone who 
is able to see a narrative.

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And that if you're doing 
your part properly,

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you're filling in a small 
piece of a larger element.

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The performance is really 
not about you at all.

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It's an idea for the audience

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that ultimately returns 
something to themselves.

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And that's what I think 
a great actor does.

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And after I, you know, 
spend some time researching

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President Zelenskyy's work

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00:09:00,300 --> 00:09:02,733
and what he accomplished, 
not just as an actor,

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00:09:02,733 --> 00:09:07,233
but as a social satirist, 
a comedian, a writer,

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00:09:07,233 --> 00:09:09,400
a producer, and then ultimately,

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00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:14,400
the head of a very large media 
company that was creating

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content for Ukrainians, 
specifically for Ukraine,

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00:09:20,300 --> 00:09:22,900
his skills were extraordinary.

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00:09:22,900 --> 00:09:24,533
- So you can see why 
you, as you put it,

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00:09:24,533 --> 00:09:26,200
jumped at the chance 
to make a film

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00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,166
that involved you 
sitting with him

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00:09:28,166 --> 00:09:29,633
closely and talking over time.

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00:09:29,633 --> 00:09:32,066
Here's another clip from 
"Meeting Zelenskyy."

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00:09:33,266 --> 00:09:36,266
- From what I read 
about your city,

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00:09:36,266 --> 00:09:38,166
it was kind of a tough place,

210
00:09:38,166 --> 00:09:41,000
that there was a component 
of it that was dangerous.

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00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:41,966
There were gangs there,

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00:09:41,966 --> 00:09:43,433
and that it was important

213
00:09:43,433 --> 00:09:44,900
that you had to develop

214
00:09:44,900 --> 00:09:46,666
a kind of toughness 
there to survive.

215
00:09:46,666 --> 00:09:48,000
Was that true?

216
00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:52,800
(Zelenskyy speaking 
in Ukrainian)

217
00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:27,566
- There is a stark moment

218
00:10:27,566 --> 00:10:29,733
where we see in this footage

219
00:10:29,733 --> 00:10:32,666
from your film 
"Meeting Zelenskyy"

220
00:10:32,666 --> 00:10:34,200
how brave he was.

221
00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:35,533
Even as he's saying,

222
00:10:35,533 --> 00:10:37,000
"We didn't know 
how brave we were

223
00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,366
because nobody had 
done this before."

224
00:10:39,366 --> 00:10:40,700
He was brave.

225
00:10:40,700 --> 00:10:43,300
Is there a particular 
instance of that

226
00:10:43,300 --> 00:10:44,833
that stands out to you?

227
00:10:44,833 --> 00:10:47,233
Because you bring us some 
startling ones in the film.

228
00:10:47,233 --> 00:10:49,333
- I think my favorite 
footage in the film

229
00:10:49,333 --> 00:10:51,966
is the interview 
with the First Lady,

230
00:10:51,966 --> 00:10:56,433
and how candid she 
was about how upset

231
00:10:56,433 --> 00:10:58,733
she was with him.

232
00:10:58,733 --> 00:11:00,800
First of all, for 
running for president.

233
00:11:02,233 --> 00:11:07,100
And secondly, for what 
they would have to endure

234
00:11:07,100 --> 00:11:09,000
once Russia invaded.

235
00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:12,366
But her support and her strength

236
00:11:12,366 --> 00:11:15,000
and their courage as a couple,

237
00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:17,733
and their openness 
in this documentary,

238
00:11:17,733 --> 00:11:19,866
particularly her vulnerability

239
00:11:19,866 --> 00:11:21,166
to show her humanity

240
00:11:21,166 --> 00:11:24,333
in those really, really 
terrifying moments.

241
00:11:24,333 --> 00:11:26,200
I mean, at the point 
that I'd interviewed her,

242
00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:29,433
I think there had been 
12 assassination attempts

243
00:11:29,433 --> 00:11:31,100
on the president, 
who jokes about them,

244
00:11:31,100 --> 00:11:34,366
but they were all very serious 
assassination attempts.

245
00:11:34,366 --> 00:11:35,833
It's just extraordinary to see

246
00:11:35,833 --> 00:11:40,800
how human beings 
stand up to tyranny.

247
00:11:42,333 --> 00:11:43,866
And for me, as someone who 
had spent the past eight years

248
00:11:43,866 --> 00:11:47,433
of my life on a television 
show with two, at that time,

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00:11:47,433 --> 00:11:49,566
two now three young children,

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00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,166
I wanted them...

251
00:11:53,166 --> 00:11:54,900
This was never about 
Ukraine for me.

252
00:11:54,900 --> 00:11:58,533
This was always about 
American values and democracy

253
00:11:58,533 --> 00:11:59,866
and what it is,

254
00:11:59,866 --> 00:12:02,133
and where it comes from,

255
00:12:02,133 --> 00:12:03,900
and what it means.

256
00:12:03,900 --> 00:12:06,800
And I don't think 
that those values

257
00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:09,366
and those principles 
are on display

258
00:12:09,366 --> 00:12:12,566
anywhere more clearly 
than in Ukraine.

259
00:12:12,566 --> 00:12:14,400
- So elaborate on that a little.

260
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:16,700
You indicate at the beginning

261
00:12:16,700 --> 00:12:18,900
that there was something 
about that pushback.

262
00:12:18,900 --> 00:12:20,233
It was not anticipated,

263
00:12:20,233 --> 00:12:22,033
that was counter to 
all of the punditry

264
00:12:22,033 --> 00:12:24,600
in the early days 
of February 2022

265
00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:27,400
that gave us a glimpse, 
us in this country

266
00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:28,733
and everywhere around the world,

267
00:12:28,733 --> 00:12:30,766
a glimpse of the possibility

268
00:12:30,766 --> 00:12:33,766
of standing up to 
authoritarianism,

269
00:12:33,766 --> 00:12:35,966
to a bully, to 
facing down a bully.

270
00:12:35,966 --> 00:12:37,266
And I couldn't help but think

271
00:12:37,266 --> 00:12:39,633
that that was a message 
to us in the U.S.

272
00:12:39,633 --> 00:12:40,533
- Absolutely.

273
00:12:42,133 --> 00:12:46,400
I think since the fall of the 
Soviet Union and perestroika,

274
00:12:47,066 --> 00:12:48,066
after all of that,

275
00:12:48,066 --> 00:12:49,466
after the Budapest memorandum,

276
00:12:49,466 --> 00:12:52,966
you know, the Ukrainians 
have done their best

277
00:12:52,966 --> 00:12:54,366
to develop their economy,

278
00:12:54,366 --> 00:12:55,733
to develop their culture.

279
00:12:55,733 --> 00:12:58,333
And one of the things that 
I think is extraordinary

280
00:12:58,333 --> 00:13:00,466
about the president 
and that I think,

281
00:13:00,466 --> 00:13:02,733
I hope is clear from the film,

282
00:13:02,733 --> 00:13:07,766
is that he was on a 
kind of laser-focused

283
00:13:09,300 --> 00:13:11,366
search for Ukrainian identity

284
00:13:11,366 --> 00:13:14,066
from the very beginning 
with his work.

285
00:13:14,066 --> 00:13:18,000
And I think that 
satirical sense,

286
00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,633
that satire and that 
politically-driven comedy

287
00:13:21,633 --> 00:13:24,800
that he was interested in doing,

288
00:13:24,800 --> 00:13:27,933
which was really poking 
at authoritarianism

289
00:13:27,933 --> 00:13:31,833
and tyranny was 
not only dangerous,

290
00:13:31,833 --> 00:13:35,533
but because it was so brilliant 
and funny, very successful.

291
00:13:35,533 --> 00:13:38,466
And it gave Ukrainians 
a sense of confidence

292
00:13:38,466 --> 00:13:41,400
in themselves, in their own 
culture, in their own language,

293
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:43,600
in their own literature, 
in their own economy,

294
00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:45,633
and in their own politics.

295
00:13:45,633 --> 00:13:48,166
And they started to thrive.

296
00:13:48,166 --> 00:13:50,100
And I think that 
represented obviously

297
00:13:50,100 --> 00:13:52,933
a major threat to Putin.

298
00:13:52,933 --> 00:13:55,433
That trajectory of that man

299
00:13:56,866 --> 00:13:59,433
from an artist to a politician

300
00:13:59,433 --> 00:14:03,700
to an extraordinary 
inspirational leader,

301
00:14:03,700 --> 00:14:07,500
for me, he was always 
on the same trajectory.

302
00:14:08,666 --> 00:14:10,400
I was interested in 
this period of your life

303
00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,066
because it seemed like 
you were having success

304
00:14:13,066 --> 00:14:16,400
at a very rapid rate 
in your time in Moscow.

305
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:17,833
And I'm just wondering

306
00:14:17,833 --> 00:14:20,066
and curious why 
you chose to return

307
00:14:20,066 --> 00:14:24,833
(Zelenskyy speaking 
in Ukrainian)

308
00:15:08,333 --> 00:15:11,966
- The bigger point, sorry, 
to get back to your question

309
00:15:13,233 --> 00:15:18,233
is how this represents 
democracy to me.

310
00:15:18,233 --> 00:15:19,800
- Yeah.

311
00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:22,366
- And it's the principles that 
I think built this country,

312
00:15:22,366 --> 00:15:25,700
that's the principles this 
country was founded on,

313
00:15:25,700 --> 00:15:30,066
to separate from tyranny,

314
00:15:30,066 --> 00:15:33,133
to develop our own political,

315
00:15:33,133 --> 00:15:35,633
economic, social structure,

316
00:15:35,633 --> 00:15:38,500
language, religion, everything.

317
00:15:38,500 --> 00:15:41,700
And to fight for 
our independence

318
00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:45,200
and to fight for it 
together as a democracy,

319
00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:47,066
as a unified community.

320
00:15:47,900 --> 00:15:49,233
It's black and white there.

321
00:15:49,233 --> 00:15:51,966
It's, you know, 
because our democracy

322
00:15:51,966 --> 00:15:55,866
has suffered this 
kind of polarizing

323
00:15:58,833 --> 00:16:01,200
journey of the past 30 years

324
00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:05,633
where it's become a 
kind of competition

325
00:16:05,633 --> 00:16:07,500
and we've forgotten 
what our values are

326
00:16:07,500 --> 00:16:09,733
and we've forgotten 
what our two parties

327
00:16:09,733 --> 00:16:11,666
are supposed to stand for,

328
00:16:11,666 --> 00:16:13,633
and the fact that 
there could be more

329
00:16:13,633 --> 00:16:15,633
if we needed them or 
if we wanted them,

330
00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,200
is something that I think 
when people look at the film,

331
00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,266
and I think that people look 
at what's happening in Ukraine,

332
00:16:24,266 --> 00:16:29,066
hopefully it reminds 
them of our own democracy

333
00:16:29,066 --> 00:16:32,133
and why we need to respect it

334
00:16:32,133 --> 00:16:35,966
and do maintenance on 
it and be a part of it.

335
00:16:35,966 --> 00:16:37,366
- That being said,

336
00:16:37,366 --> 00:16:40,500
how did you react 
to that performance

337
00:16:40,500 --> 00:16:43,933
in the White House 
when Donald Trump

338
00:16:43,933 --> 00:16:47,500
basically grilled 
President Zelenskyy,

339
00:16:47,500 --> 00:16:49,233
raked him over the coals

340
00:16:49,233 --> 00:16:51,600
for all to see in public?

341
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,800
- You know, it was 
a display for me,

342
00:16:53,800 --> 00:16:55,200
like so many things

343
00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,000
that our administration 
does right now,

344
00:17:02,233 --> 00:17:04,400
they are for the base

345
00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,100
and they are to 
consolidate power,

346
00:17:07,100 --> 00:17:10,133
and they're a show.

347
00:17:10,133 --> 00:17:12,766
I mean, I think that's so 
much of Trump's background

348
00:17:12,766 --> 00:17:14,033
is reality television,

349
00:17:14,033 --> 00:17:16,666
and I think he's brought 
that to the White House.

350
00:17:16,666 --> 00:17:20,900
By having said that, 
I was very impressed

351
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:23,000
with how President 
Zelenskyy handled himself.

352
00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,100
He wasn't going to back down

353
00:17:25,100 --> 00:17:27,566
from misinformation 
or disinformation,

354
00:17:27,566 --> 00:17:29,666
and the first thing 
that set him off

355
00:17:29,666 --> 00:17:30,866
were the false numbers.

356
00:17:30,866 --> 00:17:32,266
And he had to say, "I'm sorry,

357
00:17:32,266 --> 00:17:34,166
but those numbers are 
just not correct."

358
00:17:34,166 --> 00:17:35,666
And you can't be telling,

359
00:17:35,666 --> 00:17:37,733
he understands the influence

360
00:17:37,733 --> 00:17:39,133
and the power of a democracy.

361
00:17:39,133 --> 00:17:42,400
You can't be telling the 
people things that aren't true.

362
00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,833
- I would love to 
reflect on this moment

363
00:17:44,833 --> 00:17:47,133
where it seems as if Zelenskyy

364
00:17:47,133 --> 00:17:49,866
and his administration 
and his people

365
00:17:49,866 --> 00:17:53,033
have pulled off an 
extraordinary military feat,

366
00:17:53,033 --> 00:17:54,533
one that has involved

367
00:17:54,533 --> 00:17:56,200
and required all 
sorts of ingenuity

368
00:17:56,200 --> 00:17:58,166
and creative thinking.

369
00:17:58,166 --> 00:18:00,766
I'm talking about 
Operation 'Spider's Web,'

370
00:18:00,766 --> 00:18:01,933
which as we're speaking,

371
00:18:01,933 --> 00:18:03,833
is really just 
resonating globally

372
00:18:03,833 --> 00:18:05,266
as a new model of war.

373
00:18:05,266 --> 00:18:08,633
Pilotless smart drones 
managed to make attacks

374
00:18:08,633 --> 00:18:10,766
deep inside Russia

375
00:18:10,766 --> 00:18:14,766
without the kind of massive 
technology we think of,

376
00:18:14,766 --> 00:18:18,333
but instead with nimble 
creative, smart weapons.

377
00:18:18,333 --> 00:18:19,766
I don't know what 
the future holds,

378
00:18:19,766 --> 00:18:23,933
but this does seem to be 
an extraordinary moment.

379
00:18:23,933 --> 00:18:26,166
- I think one only needs to look

380
00:18:26,166 --> 00:18:29,066
at how long they've been able 
to defend their territory

381
00:18:29,066 --> 00:18:31,433
and the effective 
operations that they've had.

382
00:18:31,433 --> 00:18:34,466
You know, 'Spider's Web' is 
an extraordinary example.

383
00:18:35,466 --> 00:18:39,100
And the resilience 
and the tenacity

384
00:18:39,100 --> 00:18:41,033
and the strength and, you know,

385
00:18:41,033 --> 00:18:43,466
it's one of those things 
that you can't help

386
00:18:43,466 --> 00:18:46,766
but sort of see in these kind of

387
00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,433
archetypal ways that...

388
00:18:52,433 --> 00:18:53,800
- Very David and Goliath.

389
00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:57,433
- Yeah, but it's the 
strength of truth.

390
00:18:57,433 --> 00:18:59,633
And that from the 
beginning I've felt

391
00:18:59,633 --> 00:19:04,166
that that I've always 
felt optimistic about this

392
00:19:04,166 --> 00:19:07,100
because they are on 
the side of truth.

393
00:19:07,100 --> 00:19:09,266
And that's the kind of thing

394
00:19:09,266 --> 00:19:12,433
that you can cover briefly,

395
00:19:12,433 --> 00:19:15,666
but it always comes out.

396
00:19:15,666 --> 00:19:17,133
It always surfaces.

397
00:19:17,133 --> 00:19:19,966
And it's also the kind of 
thing that builds morale,

398
00:19:19,966 --> 00:19:23,000
it builds courage, 
it builds principle.

399
00:19:24,166 --> 00:19:27,400
And I think they have 
that on their side

400
00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:32,266
where the Russian 
military is struggling.

401
00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,666
And to be honest, 
from my perspective

402
00:19:37,666 --> 00:19:40,266
and my visits and my 
time there, you know,

403
00:19:40,266 --> 00:19:42,066
they were on the ropes.

404
00:19:42,066 --> 00:19:43,433
- It should be remembered

405
00:19:43,433 --> 00:19:46,633
that there are continuing 
attacks by the Russians

406
00:19:46,633 --> 00:19:49,400
on infrastructure, on 
domestic facilities

407
00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:51,633
of healthcare and 
culture and education.

408
00:19:51,633 --> 00:19:52,600
You name it.

409
00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:54,366
The situation isn't rosy.

410
00:19:54,366 --> 00:19:56,366
You talked about the 
humanitarian work

411
00:19:56,366 --> 00:19:57,866
you were doing at the beginning.

412
00:19:57,866 --> 00:19:59,400
Where does that stand now?

413
00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:02,400
Even as we talk about 
the overused word,

414
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:04,900
but resilience of 
the Ukrainian people.

415
00:20:04,900 --> 00:20:09,766
- The need for humanitarian 
aid is really essential,

416
00:20:09,766 --> 00:20:12,533
especially in 
vulnerable communities.

417
00:20:12,533 --> 00:20:14,700
Obviously most of the men 
are serving in the military,

418
00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:16,833
so we've got a lot 
of women and children

419
00:20:16,833 --> 00:20:18,333
and elderly people

420
00:20:18,333 --> 00:20:20,800
who really need shoring up,

421
00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,666
people who refuse 
to leave their goat

422
00:20:23,666 --> 00:20:25,433
or their farm or their cat,

423
00:20:25,433 --> 00:20:27,400
or whatever it is that 
they don't wanna leave.

424
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,466
And their attitudes 
are like, you know,

425
00:20:29,466 --> 00:20:31,133
I'm already 80,

426
00:20:31,133 --> 00:20:33,300
or I don't care if 
they drop a missile

427
00:20:33,300 --> 00:20:35,933
on my head at this point, 
I'm not going anywhere.

428
00:20:35,933 --> 00:20:37,400
And so there's this 
wonderful organization

429
00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,366
that we work with 
called Starenki,

430
00:20:39,366 --> 00:20:40,933
who goes out to them

431
00:20:40,933 --> 00:20:42,133
and visits them periodically.

432
00:20:42,133 --> 00:20:43,866
They bring them food.

433
00:20:43,866 --> 00:20:45,133
They bring them warming kits.

434
00:20:45,133 --> 00:20:46,100
They have tea parties for them.

435
00:20:46,100 --> 00:20:47,333
They get them together.

436
00:20:47,333 --> 00:20:48,566
They give them the 
sense of community.

437
00:20:48,566 --> 00:20:50,400
They bring them medications.

438
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:51,700
Kidsave is another one.

439
00:20:51,700 --> 00:20:54,333
It's really a horrible time

440
00:20:54,333 --> 00:20:56,333
to be trying to raise a child.

441
00:20:56,333 --> 00:21:01,300
Kidsave is also runs several 
orphanages in Ukraine,

442
00:21:01,300 --> 00:21:02,766
but they also have 
these activities

443
00:21:02,766 --> 00:21:04,433
for parents and children.

444
00:21:04,433 --> 00:21:08,200
They educate children on mines 
and IEDs to keep them safe.

445
00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,800
They give them safety backpacks.

446
00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:12,266
They have activities

447
00:21:12,266 --> 00:21:15,366
and ways to get them together,

448
00:21:15,366 --> 00:21:17,266
because obviously 
many of the schools

449
00:21:17,266 --> 00:21:20,100
and a lot of the 
infrastructure's been destroyed.

450
00:21:20,100 --> 00:21:22,333
So most kids are 
learning online,

451
00:21:22,333 --> 00:21:23,666
but Kidsafe makes an effort

452
00:21:23,666 --> 00:21:25,666
to have these kids come together

453
00:21:25,666 --> 00:21:27,500
and give them some 
sense of community.

454
00:21:30,100 --> 00:21:31,800
It's really important,

455
00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:35,833
at least to me and 
hopefully to my kids,

456
00:21:35,833 --> 00:21:38,800
that we understand the brutality

457
00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:42,266
of a situation like this one

458
00:21:42,266 --> 00:21:43,833
and that we care

459
00:21:43,833 --> 00:21:45,166
and that we want 
to do something.

460
00:21:45,166 --> 00:21:48,333
And that in so many ways,

461
00:21:48,333 --> 00:21:51,000
to me, that's what 
it is to be American.

462
00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:54,066
- I couldn't possibly 
say, ask you, you know,

463
00:21:54,066 --> 00:21:57,800
how this experience has 
made your professional life

464
00:21:57,800 --> 00:21:59,700
deeper or richer 
or more empathic.

465
00:21:59,700 --> 00:22:02,966
I can't think of a 
more empathic actor,

466
00:22:02,966 --> 00:22:05,700
but has it changed 
you in any way?

467
00:22:05,700 --> 00:22:08,400
- Iolanta Pryshlyak is a woman

468
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:12,866
who runs an orchestra in Lviv.

469
00:22:12,866 --> 00:22:14,666
And I asked Iolanta,

470
00:22:14,666 --> 00:22:17,366
I said, you know, if you could 
say anything to Americans

471
00:22:17,366 --> 00:22:19,266
who are thinking about 
supporting Ukraine,

472
00:22:19,266 --> 00:22:20,833
what would you say?

473
00:22:20,833 --> 00:22:24,100
She looks into the 
corner of the room

474
00:22:24,100 --> 00:22:26,433
and then I can see tears 
welling in her eyes

475
00:22:26,433 --> 00:22:31,100
and she says, 
well, in Ukrainian,

476
00:22:31,100 --> 00:22:35,900
she says, "If the war 
hasn't moved them,

477
00:22:35,900 --> 00:22:38,800
I really don't know 
what to say to them.

478
00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:43,733
All I know is to tell 
them to hold the people

479
00:22:44,700 --> 00:22:45,333
that they love close to them."

480
00:22:46,733 --> 00:22:49,966
And it just knocked me over

481
00:22:54,566 --> 00:22:57,166
how perfectly stated that was.

482
00:22:57,166 --> 00:22:58,366
That this was a person

483
00:22:58,366 --> 00:23:01,200
who was in an 
existential situation.

484
00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:03,466
And in an existential situation,

485
00:23:03,466 --> 00:23:06,200
all that really matters is love.

486
00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:07,733
- Liev Schreiber, 
thank you so much.

487
00:23:07,733 --> 00:23:09,866
The film is "Meeting Zelenskyy".

488
00:23:09,866 --> 00:23:12,166
We'll close with 
President Zelenskyy's

489
00:23:12,166 --> 00:23:13,600
own thoughts on freedom.

490
00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:16,500
Here's another clip from 
"Meeting Zelenskyy."

491
00:23:16,500 --> 00:23:21,266
(Zelenskyy speaking 
in Ukrainian)

492
00:23:59,466 --> 00:24:01,466
- There's something beautiful 
in what you just said.

493
00:24:01,466 --> 00:24:03,766
I wish you all the luck and 
a real honor to speak to you.

494
00:24:03,766 --> 00:24:04,933
Thank you, Mr. President.

495
00:24:04,933 --> 00:24:06,700
(Zelenskyy speaking 
in Ukrainian)

496
00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:08,300
- [Liev] Thank you.

497
00:24:14,933 --> 00:24:15,866
- The following commentary

498
00:24:15,866 --> 00:24:17,266
is going to mention suicide.

499
00:24:17,266 --> 00:24:18,466
There is help.

500
00:24:18,466 --> 00:24:21,300
The national hotline 
number is 988,

501
00:24:21,300 --> 00:24:22,866
and it's free.

502
00:24:22,866 --> 00:24:26,233
Not so long ago, Donald Trump 
compared the war in Ukraine

503
00:24:26,233 --> 00:24:29,633
to a playground 
battle between kids.

504
00:24:29,633 --> 00:24:31,566
To which President 
Zelenskyy replied,

505
00:24:31,566 --> 00:24:34,300
"We are not kids 
in a playground,

506
00:24:34,300 --> 00:24:38,066
but President Putin is a 
murderer killing kids."

507
00:24:38,066 --> 00:24:39,300
President Putin, of course,

508
00:24:39,300 --> 00:24:40,733
is not killing anyone himself.

509
00:24:40,733 --> 00:24:42,033
He's sending others to do it.

510
00:24:42,033 --> 00:24:45,266
The conscripted children 
of terrified parents

511
00:24:45,266 --> 00:24:49,200
and battlefield reports 
are replete with stories

512
00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,666
of soldier suicide at the front.

513
00:24:51,666 --> 00:24:53,533
In the US, our 
commander in chief

514
00:24:53,533 --> 00:24:55,933
is sending troops to US cities,

515
00:24:55,933 --> 00:24:59,066
National Guard and 
Marines, sending them out

516
00:24:59,066 --> 00:25:02,166
to enforce his mass 
immigration expulsion program.

517
00:25:02,166 --> 00:25:03,666
A program that more 
and more people

518
00:25:03,666 --> 00:25:05,066
are rejecting as illegal,

519
00:25:05,066 --> 00:25:08,066
immoral, un-American 
and should be stopped.

520
00:25:08,066 --> 00:25:12,266
He's also approving a military 
parade costing millions,

521
00:25:12,266 --> 00:25:15,633
even as he is cutting 
funds for veterans health.

522
00:25:15,633 --> 00:25:17,666
And the suicide 
statistics in this country

523
00:25:17,666 --> 00:25:19,666
continue to show that veterans

524
00:25:19,666 --> 00:25:21,566
commit suicide at 
elevated rates.

525
00:25:21,566 --> 00:25:24,733
Some 17 per day in the US.

526
00:25:24,733 --> 00:25:26,166
What I take from Zelenskyy

527
00:25:26,166 --> 00:25:28,600
is that it's important to 
send a message to people

528
00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:29,733
to do the right thing,

529
00:25:29,733 --> 00:25:31,500
to stand up, not 
for their commander,

530
00:25:31,500 --> 00:25:32,900
but for their constitution.

531
00:25:32,900 --> 00:25:34,766
Their country. Their people.

532
00:25:34,766 --> 00:25:36,000
And to resist doing things

533
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:38,100
that they think 
might not be right.

534
00:25:38,100 --> 00:25:40,200
His message, "We 
have your back,"

535
00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:44,700
seems like an apt message 
to US military today.

536
00:25:44,700 --> 00:25:46,000
So there you have it.

537
00:25:46,000 --> 00:25:48,433
If you want my full, 
unedited conversation

538
00:25:48,433 --> 00:25:50,666
with Liev Schreiber, you can 
get it through subscribing

539
00:25:50,666 --> 00:25:51,900
to our free podcast.

540
00:25:51,900 --> 00:25:53,900
All the information 
is at the website.

541
00:25:53,900 --> 00:25:55,133
In the meantime,

542
00:25:55,133 --> 00:25:57,733
stay kind to stay 
curious, stay connected.

543
00:25:57,733 --> 00:26:00,100
For "Laura Flanders & 
Friends," I'm Laura.

544
00:26:00,100 --> 00:26:01,233
Thanks for joining us.

545
00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:03,433
For more on this episode

546
00:26:03,433 --> 00:26:05,200
and other 
forward-thinking content,

547
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,100
subscribe to our free newsletter

548
00:26:07,100 --> 00:26:08,966
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549
00:26:08,966 --> 00:26:11,433
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550
00:26:11,433 --> 00:26:12,833
We also have a podcast.

551
00:26:12,833 --> 00:26:15,966
It's all at lauraflanders.org

552
00:26:15,966 --> 00:26:19,166
(upbeat bright music)