Olena Zelenska said she wants her husband, not a ‘historical figure’ (Picture: Rex)
Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska has opened up about how the war in Ukraine has caused uncertainty and emotional turmoil for her family.
In a rare interview with the BBC, she described how it is hard for her children to see a future and how the family still live separated one year and six months since war was declared.
‘This may be a bit selfish, but I need my husband, not a historical figure, by my side,’ she said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, meant Olena and her children had to go into hiding.
Meanwhile, her husband Volodymyr Zelensky was thrust into the limelight as a 21st century war leader.
The pair are childhood sweethearts who worked together as a comedy troupe – him as an actor and her as a scriptwriter.
But the reality of their lives during the war has become restricted and this has impacted the couple’s children more than anything.
‘It pains me to watch that my kids don’t plan anything. At such an age, young people. My daughter is 19. They dream of travelling, of new sensations, emotions. She does not have such an opportunity,’ she said.
Olena Zelenska said life has completely changed for her and the family since Russia declared war on Ukraine (Picture: Ukrinform/Shutterstock)
Zelenksa and Zelensky stand side by side as the war rages on in Ukraine (Picture: Ukrainian President Press Office/UPI/Shutterstock)
The first lady opened up in a rare interview (Picture: Ukrinform/Shutterstock)
‘There are limitations in time in what you can allow yourself, they exist, and we somehow try to live within them.’
Despite what she describes as her ‘selfish’ longing, Olena Zelenska believes her husband ‘really does have the energy, the will power, inspiration, and stubbornness to go through with this war.’
Her recent work focuses on Ukrainians who have been psychologically impacted by the war, with a focus on mental health and resilience.
She said: ‘No one can know what awaits for them. After all, no one could have imagined that in the 21st century, that such a war would be unleashed in the middle of Europe, that it would be so cruel. A bloody war. So, I have never imagined that I would be in this role at this time.’
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For many Ukrainians their lives have been turned upside down by the war and forced to flee a place they always called home.
The invasion of Ukraine has had a significant impact on the mobility of people and goods in the EU across all modes of transport.
Many EU countries still face problems with fuel supplies and fuel prices, and logistical challenges with border crossings and airspace restrictions.
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