First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska attended a special Mass marking one thousand days of the full-scale Russian invasion; the service was held at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere in Rome.
The Mass was officiated by Cardinal Matteo Zuppi. At Olena Zelenska's invitation, the event was also joined by the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė; the First Lady of Serbia, Tamara Vučić; and the spouse of the Prime Minister of Armenia, Anna Hakobyan.
“I am grateful to the Holy See, the Order of Malta, and the Italian Republic for this poignant gesture of solidarity and spiritual unity. Every word spoken today, I am sure, would have resonated in every Ukrainian heart,” said the wife of the President of Ukraine.
She also thanked the representatives of the Holy See for their visits to Ukraine and their efforts to free Ukrainians from captivity.
“Ukraine wants to see all its sons and daughters imprisoned or abducted by Russia return home. Ukraine wants a just and lasting peace based on the principles of international law and the principles of the United Nations,” Olena Zelenska said.
The First Ladies also visited the Vatican's Pontifical Pediatric Hospital, which has received more than 650 Ukrainian children since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
Olena Zelenska thanked Tiziano Onesti, President of the Bambino Gesù Hospital, for helping Ukrainian children and supporting Okhmatdyt, which was attacked by Russian missiles this July.
She also met with Laura Mattarella, the daughter of the President of Italy and the acting First Lady of the country, thanking her for all the assistance provided to Ukraine and inviting her to join the platform of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.
“Together we can achieve much for the benefit of our countries. In particular, the child protection strategy developed by the Summit and already presented to the UN is needed not just for Ukraine, but for all countries that want to ensure a safe childhood,” Olena Zelenska said.