The tragic events of the past two-and-a-half years would have tested any marriage, but Olena Zelensky has revealed the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made the couple 'closer than ever'.
The tragic events of the past two-and-a-half years would have tested any marriage: an unprecedented war, a potentially life-or-death decision on whether to flee the fighting and a close-knit family forced to live apart.
For the duration of the conflict, the First Lady and their two children, daughter Oleksandra, 20, and son Kyrylo, 11, have had to live apart from the President Read More Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska reveals how Putin's barbaric invasion of her homeland has left her 'close to psychological burnout' - as she tries to stay strong for her husband, children, and her beloved nation Ms Zelenska told me: 'It's not a normal life for any person to live in a country at war. It's a constant psychological burden and pressure.
As Russian special forces troops swarmed all over the capital hours after the all-out invasion in February 2022, the U.S. gave the President an option to leave Ukraine. He is famously said to have replied: 'The fight is here. I need ammunition, not a ride.' Her pride in her husband goes hand in hand with her concerns for his safety and the wider family - after he was the target of several assassination attempts
'I hope everything that could be done for his safety has been done, and the same for my family, too... I don't want to think about bad stuff. I'm afraid to think about it,' said the First Lady who, despite her good English, preferred to answer my questions in Ukrainian. The atrocities inflicted on Ukraine's people seem endless: last month, a Russian missile hit a children's hospital on the outskirts of Kyiv, killing two people and injuring 300 more, mostly children.
She fears such a pause would give Russia the chance to regroup and attack again at some point, adding: 'In many fairy tales of many nations, there is a dragon who, every year is given a girl so that the monster won't burn down the city. If peace and victory come to Ukraine, the First Lady insists that her country and the international community must prosecute Russia and its servicemen for war crimes, including those who committed rape and also crimes against the elderly and children.Ms Zelenska said various phases of the war had presented different challenges: 'Everyone gets tired, everyone wants to preserve hope inside – and it takes effort.
I told the First Lady that, over the past two years, I have interviewed many Ukrainian women – from a female sniper to a front-line aid worker – to champion their bravery. 'When I visit Great Britain, I feel how strong the support of the British people is on every level – from the Royal Family to ordinary citizens who I meet every time I go back.'
Like all other first ladies, or first gentlemen, Ms Zelenska had the chance to opt for a private life out of the spotlight or to have a public role of her own.Within months of the outbreak, she founded the Olena Zelenska Foundation, a charity that has raised millions of pounds for humanitarian aid, education and health care.
'They don't have a normal childhood. So to do something for their childhood, to become at least better, is a normal desire of every adult.Next month, Ms Zelenska will host the fourth 'Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen' in Kyiv, focussing on the safety and security of children.
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