The wife of the Ukrainian president, Vlodymyr Zelenskiy, has thanked France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, and other leaders’ wives for helping to ensure sick children reached safety. And she paid tribute to Europeans who have been housing and helping Ukrainian refugees, saying they deserved a Nobel peace prize.
Writing to Le Parisien newspaper, Olena Zelenska, 44, said that when Russia began attacking Ukraine she had issued an appeal for the support of the world’s first ladies. Brigitte Macron was one of the first to respond, she added, and their relationship was “warm and friendly”.
“My appeal was heard,” Zelenska said. “I want to thank all Europeans who are now helping our people, giving them homes, feeding them, encouraging them … like us, you weren’t prepared for having so many traumatised people in your country.
“But the way you have reacted is worth of a collective Nobel Peace prize. Ukrainians are marvellous people and very grateful. Our children will never forget what you have done for us.”
She also spoke of her admiration for her husband’s courage.
“Do I admire this man? Every single day. Am I surprised? No. Volodymyr has always been like this: determined and calm. In a time of war, all Ukrainians and the whole world have clearly seen the principles he holds and have felt the strength in him. He will never abandon what is in Ukraine’s interest.”
After Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Zelenska wrote on Instagram: “I won’t panic or cry. I will be calm and confident.” She admitted this had since become impossible.
“There are tears when I see the victims, the dead children, the families gunned down or buried under the rubble of their own homes. I can’t help myself. But there’s no panic.
“Panic comes when you don’t know what to do. Me, I know perfectly well what we must do and the Ukrainian people know too. Our plan is to protect Ukrainians and win.”
She said that calling family members to see if they were still alive was a “daily ritual” for Ukrainians.
“You verify your messages, if they are marked as read there’s still hope that they’ve still some network connection and they’re still alive and that’s already incredibly happy news during a war.
“It is terrifying to read posts on social networks where Ukrainians are looking in vain for their family members who have disappeared. We need real safe humanitarian corridors that are not targeted by mortars, where the elderly are not dying of heart attacks, and in which entire families are being killed.”
Zelenska has been working with Brigitte Macron and Agata Kornhauser-Duda, who is married to Poland’s president, to evacuate sick Ukrainian children, particularly those needing life-saving treatment for cancer.
“These ‘life convoys’ are unprecedented. When it became obvious it was impossible to treat children with cancer in bomb shelters we immediately looked for a solution.
“Some [children] will stay in Poland, others will be sent on to France, Italy, Germany, the United States and Canada. I’m happy that I was of use in this process. In particular I’m happy that with the agreement of Mrs Macron we could send our little patients to France.”
Le Parisien said Zelenska was still in Kyiv but at an unspecified location for her own safety, having been identified as the Russians’ main target after her husband.
Asked what the role of women is in the war, she replied: “Our resistance, as our future victory, has taken on a particularly feminine face.
“Women are fighting in the army, they are signed up to territorial defence [units], they are the foundation of a powerful volunteer movement to supply, deliver, feed … they give birth in shelters, save their children and look after others’ children, they keep the economy going, they go abroad to seek help.
“Others are simply doing their jobs, in hospitals, pharmacies, shops, transport, public services … so that life continues.”
Zelenska said she had “nothing to say” to Russians who supported Vladimir Putin’s attack on her country but wanted to send a message to the mothers of Russian soldiers.
“Your sons are killing Ukrainian civilians; women, children, entire families. They have come here for that and are systematically executing the orders of their superiors. They haven’t come for a ‘special operation’.
“They have come to exterminate the people. Russian soldiers are dying here, cursed by other mothers. Putin promised you compensation for their deaths. I don’t know what compensation can replace a child.”
