First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska called on the countries of the world to make more efforts to return Ukrainian children illegally deported and forcibly displaced by Russia and bring the perpetrators to justice. She said this in an interview with the monthly Slovenian magazine OnaPlus.
The President's wife also spoke about the recent Russian shelling of Ukraine and the casualties it caused.
"They are trying to kill us and are killing us, so we cannot afford the luxury of fatigue or 'dark thoughts'. We don't have time for that," she said.
The First Lady emphasized that the world must join forces to rescue 19,000 Ukrainian children abducted by the Russian aggressor.
"Last year, the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was created as part of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Bring Kids Back UA initiative, and its first meeting was held in Kyiv. We hope for its effectiveness. This cannot be solved by one country alone," Olena Zelenska emphasized.
In addition, the wife of the President of Ukraine spoke about the humanitarian activities of the Olena Zelenska Foundation and its assistance to large families who lost their homes, schools and hospitals: "When our foreign friends asked us what the Ukrainian resilience is based on and how to support it, we answered: rebuild Ukraine with us, so you will literally join this resilience and strengthen it. I am grateful to all the patrons who make this possible. These are people from 25 countries, and more are coming. Their contributions are not just material assistance, they are opportunities and prospects for millions of lives. This is a contribution to the future of Europe in particular. Because in reality, we all need happy people around us. I invite everyone to join in."
The President's wife also spoke about the activities of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, a unique professional club for spouses of the world's top officials. The First Gentleman of Slovenia, Aleš Musar, is a member of the club.
"We recently met with him in London at the Global Soft Power Index conference. For the first time, they held a panel for first ladies and gentlemen and showed impressive figures: it turns out that we can influence 35% of the factors that make up the soft power of our countries. By a third. This is no longer just a power, it is a superpower!" she said.
Answering the question of why the war unleashed by Russia is a wake-up call for the whole of Europe and the world, Olena Zelenska said: "The dictator will not stop in Ukraine. And Eastern Europe, which has already been enslaved by the Russian and Soviet empires, knows this best. There is also an ethical dimension. What kind of world would it be if the power of tanks and missiles and nuclear threats prevailed instead of civilized relations?"
The First Lady emphasized that Ukraine's victory is necessary to ensure that this does not happen again.
"Ukraine's victory is necessary not only for countries, but also for every normal person in the world if they want to remain human and live in safety," she summarized.