LOS ANGELES – American television host David Letterman will interview Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a standalone episode of his Netflix series, My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.

The streaming service announced the interview on Thursday, saying on Twitter: “David Letterman recently travelled to Kyiv, Ukraine, to interview President Volodymyr Zelensky for an upcoming episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman. The standalone special will premiere later this year.”

The tweet was accompanied by a photograph of Letterman, 75, and Zelensky, 44, shaking hands.

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction premiered in January 2018 with former United States president Barack Obama as the first guest.

Since then, the series has largely featured celebrities, including Hollywood actor George Clooney and American singer Billie Eilish. But Letterman has also spoken to sports stars, such as British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton and activists such as Malala Yousafzai.

The episodes generally centre on a long-form conversation in the presence of a studio audience, interspersed with field segments.

Letterman previously hosted late-night talk shows in the US for some three decades, including Late Night With David Letterman (1982 to 1993) and Late Show With David Letterman (1993 to 2015).

Meanwhile, Mr Zelensky has been hosting a steady stream of Hollywood stars in Kyiv ever since Russia began its invasion of the former Soviet nation in February.

Recent visitors include American actors Ben Stiller and Jessica Chastain in June and August respectively. British actor Benedict Cumberbatch also reportedly spoke with Mr Zelensky, according to a note on the President’s Telegram account in September.

Mr Zelensky himself was a former actor and comedian, having starred in the Ukrainian series Servant Of The People (2015 to 2019). The popular satire revolved around the adventures of a history teacher who is elected to the country’s presidency, thanks to a viral video.