Ukrainians will manage to endure the hardships of wartime and continue to develop by holding on to the human values we are currently defending. This was stated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska in an interview with African media.
Media from Angola, Botswana, Tunisia, the Republic of Guinea, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Zambia were represented at the meeting in Kyiv.
"All of us in Ukraine hope that the war will remain just an episode in our lives. Foreign aggression will not make us cruel, as we hold on to human values. We will manage to endure everything and continue to develop if we keep it in us," she said.
The President's wife also spoke about the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia.
"So far, we have managed to return 386 children. Each time it was a unique special operation. Mostly, these are children who managed to somehow provide information about themselves and their whereabouts, teenage children who were able to use, for example, the telephone. Because the abductors do not make contact, and we cannot believe their information," the First Lady said and reminded that Russia had abducted more than 19,000 Ukrainian children.
In addition, Olena Zelenska emphasized the importance of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program, as 90% of Ukrainians are currently experiencing stress due to the war.
According to her, it is important to protect not only people, but also culture from Russian destruction.
"For many centuries, Ukraine has been influenced by the empire. A lot of work is needed to decolonize culture, to return the names of our artists who were appropriated by Russia," the President's wife said.
The First Lady also thanked the journalists for their personal visit to our country.
"You have made the most important step - you have come to Ukraine," Olena Zelenska emphasized.