Ukraine’s first lady spoke passionately in a new interview about how the ongoing war with Russia has strengthened her marriage to her presidential husband.
Olena Zelenskaya said Volodymyr Zelensky’s perseverance in the face of bloodshed and political turmoil was “proof” that she married the right person 20 years ago.
“I think we’ve become closer and more connected because we’ve supported each other the way we wanted to,” Olena Zelenska said. He told the Daily Mail At the presidential palace in central Kyiv.
“I don’t think I’ve ever let him down, and he’s never let me down,” she continued.
Olena Zelenska (the Daily Mail points out that in Ukrainian, married surnames often have feminine endings) told the outlet that she and the couple’s two children have been living apart from the Ukrainian president since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Volodymyr Zelensky famously chose to remain in Ukraine’s battleground capital despite being given the opportunity to flee to safety.
The courage that the former actress has shown and continues to show has only made Olena Zelenska’s love for her husband even stronger, despite the fact that she barely has the opportunity to spend time with her life partner.
Reuters
“Frankly, I’m proud of him,” Olena Zelenska said.
“But it wasn’t a surprise to me. It was just another proof that I chose the right person,” she continued.
“I never doubted for a moment what he would do during those terrifying days, weeks and months at the start of the war. But I’m even more proud of his resilience. This is a long marathon.”
Olena Zelenska spoke glowingly about her husband but made clear her hatred for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to the First Lady, Russia is run by “some kind of monster.”
Asked if she was worried about the possibility of Donald Trump being re-elected, who has pledged to cut funding to the Ukrainian military, Olena Zelenska said she hoped it was more than “pure speculation”.
“The US elections are very crucial for many countries, especially those of us who are counting on them for support,” she said.
Officials estimate that more than 11,000 Ukrainian civilians and up to 100,000 soldiers have been killed since the war began 18 months ago.
Russia fired cruise missiles and airstrikes across the border into Ukraine on Saturday, starting a fire in the city of Sumy and killing two Ukrainian soldiers.
The Kremlin also flew kamikaze drones into Ukrainian airspace overnight on Friday.
The attack comes as Ukraine continues its incursions into Russian territory, with one expert accusing Russia of “failing to gather complete intelligence” ahead of Ukraine’s historic offensive.
Moscow appears to have been caught off guard when Ukrainian forces advanced on the city of Suzhe in the Kursk region this week, with authorities giving no indication of any negligence, according to reports.
One French military expert accused Russia of failing to see what was coming.
“Russia has completely failed in its intelligence gathering here,” Johann Michel, a researcher at the IESD institute in Lyon, told Reuters.
