In a defiant plea, Mrs Zelenska said those in the West mustn’t grow weary of war whilst also admitting that she feared what another Trump presidency would bring from Ukraine and the rest of the world
The First Lady of Ukraine has become a powerful symbol of hope, and in a defiant plea she has warned that the West must not grow weary of war.
In an interview from inside the office of the president in Kyiv, Olena Zelenska said she had come close to burnout as she struggled to cope with the magnitude of Putin’s war while maintaining a brave face for her country and her children. Since the war began in February 2022, the Zelenskys have been forced to live apart; Olena lives with her children in an undisclosed location whilst her husband Volodymyr Zelensky stays at his office.
In a defiant plea, Mrs Zelenska said those in the West mustn’t grow weary of war, she said: “We hope that the fatigue of this war will not settle the existential war for us, because our existence depends on it.” It is approaching 850 days since Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, having annexed Crimea in 2014 after declaring he had reversed a historical mistake. Despite this, Putin’s ambitions for reclaiming Ukraine fully as part of Russia remain undimmed.
At a recent Peace Conference in Switzerland Mrs Zelenska highlighted her fears about Ukraine’s allies, she said: “we sometimes fear that help is arriving more slowly than we expected”, also adding “or not to the extent that we expected”. She admitted there is a general feeling of concern about the possible return of a Trump presidency and what that means; not only for Ukraine but the world.
When Mrs Zelenska’s husband announced his intention to run for president in 2019, she was enjoying her life as a successful screenwriter and editor in comedy at Studio Kvartal 95. Mrs Zelenska says while “nobody would ever dream of being a wife of a president of a country at war, this is my job now.” Adding: “I hope to live until the moment of the victory in a sane state of mind and for us to arrive there not so exhausted that we won’t be able to enjoy it.”
Mrs Zelenska is keenly aware of the scrutiny of her marriage and presenting herself and Mr Zelensky as a united front to provide hope that all will be fine with their country. While putting on such a show can be draining, she said, it is also, at times, rewarding. She said: “You have to understand that people look at you and you have to support them.” She added: “You have to give them hope and confidence, regardless of your emotional state. You have to be supportive for the people and at times it really is hard, but at other times it’s really inspiring when you see people support you back. I feel such gratitude to be honest that it’s worth it.”
As part of her new commitment to take care of her mental health, Mrs Zelenska said she has occasionally permitted herself to be vulnerable. She said: “A couple of times I allowed myself to cry when it was unbearably sad but it was something I did consciously because I know I have to dive deep to the bottom to find the power to push and then I can swim again.”
In her role as First Lady, Mrs Zelenska has sought to bring about a positive change in Ukrainian culture by getting people to talk about mental health. Last year she launched a nationwide programme called ‘How are you?’ which, in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, aims to encourage Ukrainians to focus on their mental health daily. According to surveys conducted in the aftermath of the full-scale war, more than 90 per cent of Ukrainians experienced anxiety, with almost 60 per cent said to be at risk of developing mental disorders….Sée Àll
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