BBC reporter describes how Zelensky ‘crumpled in front of him’ in emotional interview

BBC News correspondent Clive Myrie has spoken about his experience interviewing Volodymyr Zelensky, describing how the Ukraine President "crumpled in front of him".

The presenter recounted his encounter with the man leading the fightback against Russian forces live from Kyiv on BBC Breakfast.

The interview also saw Zelensky brush off a text from French President Emmanuel Macron to continue talking to Myrie.

Speaking about his meeting with Zelensky, Myrie said: “He looked knackered, frankly, when I first greeted him.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

“He looked tired, he looked emotionally drained. That came through in the interview... certainly that interaction over the text from Emmanuel Macron suggested the lighter, more dominant side of his nature, more personable and warm.

“But as the interview went on we talked about… those areas to the north west, Bucha and Borodyanka, those where he visited, he saw body bags in the street. He saw the devastation that Russian shelling has wrought to those areas over the last few weeks.”

Myrie added: “He crumpled in front of me. You could see the physical and emotional toll that dealing with all that has had on him.

“I think there were a lot of people in this country who were skeptical, frankly, that he was up to the task. As I say, he’s a comedian and an actor. That’s what he was in another life.

“Was he going to be able to handle the toughest crisis in this country’s history - certainly since the Second World War - and also shoulder the burden of potentially the maintenance of democracy in Eastern Europe. I think the general consensus is that he’s risen to that challenge.”

The pair met for the interview earlier this weekBBC/Getty

Zelensky accused European countries that are still buying Russian oil of “dealing in blood money” during the recent interview with the BBC.

“We don’t understand how you can make money out of blood,” Zelensky said of nations still buying Russian oil. “Unfortunately, this is what some European countries have been doing.”

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.