‘I need my husband’: Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska opens up on impact of war on family

Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska for the first time opened up about how the Russian war has impacted their family emotionally.

In an interview with BBC, Zelenska said that she had been living apart from her husband, Volodymyr Zelensky, for more than a year due to security threats arising out of the ongoing conflict and added that it has taken a toll on her family.

"This may be a bit selfish, but I need my husband, not a historical figure, by my side," she told BBC in an interview posted online Tuesday morning (Sept 5).

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"But we stay strong, we have strength both emotionally and physically. And I am sure we will handle it together," she added.

She spent the initial months of the Russian invasion hiding in secret locations with her children.

Separated for more than a year

Zelenska described the first critical days as "a constant feeling of adrenaline" before she forced herself to accept "the existing conditions."

Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, Volodymyr Zelensky’s movements have been kept as secret.

"We don't live together with my husband, the family is separated," Zelenska said.

"We have the opportunity to see each other but not as often as we would like. My son misses his father."

She said that the uncertainty of the war has cost her family dearly.

'My children miss him'

‘It pains me to watch that my kids don’t plan anything. At such an age, young people. My daughter is 19. They dream of travelling, of new sensations, emotions. She does not have such an opportunity,’ she was quoted as saying.

Zelenska met her husband in high school. Both of them later worked together in a comedy troupe and TV studio, with him as an actor and her as a scriptwriter.

Now, she says that she never dreamt of her husband becoming the "historical figure" he is today, adding that she has missed him and needed him to stand by her side as her husband.

Though she acknowledges that her feelings are nothing but a "selfish" longing, Zelenska said the president "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."

Nowadays Zelenska is always surrounded by bodyguards as she travels internationally to rally support for her homeland and her husband.

(With inputs from agencies)

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