Ukraine's First Lady: Zelenskyy Has Will to Endure

Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's first lady, says she never dreamt of her husband becoming the "historical figure" he is today. She said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy "really does have the energy, the will power, inspiration, and stubbornness to go through this war."

"I believe in him. And I support him. I know that he has enough strength. For any other person I know, I think, it would be much harder, this situation. He really is a very strong and resilient person. And this resilience is what we all need right now," she told the BBC.

"After all, no-one could have imagined that in the 21st century, such a war would be unleashed in the middle of Europe, that it would be so cruel," she said. "A bloody war. So I never imagined that I would be in this role at this time."

The total number of Ukrainian and Russian troops killed or wounded since the war in Ukraine began 18 months ago is nearing 500,000, U.S. officials have said. Russia’s toll is higher, The New York Times reported.

The first family of Ukraine has been forced to separate during the war.

"We don't live together with my husband, the family is separated," Olena Zelenska said. "We have the opportunity to see each other, but not as often as we would like. My son misses his father."

When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Olena Zelenska spent months in hiding in secret locations with her children.

She described her emotional state at the beginning of the invasion as "a constant feeling of adrenaline." As time passed, she found it was "necessary" to calm herself and start living life in "the existing conditions."

"It pains me to watch that my kids don't plan anything," Zelenska told the BBC. "At such an age, young people — my daughter is 19 — they dream of traveling, of new sensations, emotions. She does not have such an opportunity.

"There are limitations in time in what you can allow yourself, they exist, and we somehow try to live within them."

Since coming out of hiding last year, Ukraine's first lady has traveled the world, meeting leaders and giving speeches.

Her recent work has focused on helping Ukrainians cope with the psychological impact of the war, and she is preparing to co-host a summit in Kyiv that will focus on mental health and resilience. She is co-hosting with British actor, writer, and mental-health activist Stephen Fry.

"I really hope that I can inspire someone, can give someone hope or advice, or prove with my own example that we live, we work, we move forward," Olena Zelenska said.

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