Olena Zelenska: Standing Beside Ukraine’s President in W*r and Hardship

A Partnership Through the Years

Since Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has remained under global scrutiny. His wife, Olena Zelenska, has stood firmly by his side.
The couple married on September 6, 2003, and have two children, Aleksandra and Kiril. Their story began in university, where Olena studied law. Though they didn’t date right away, shared interests soon drew them together.

From Comedy to Reality

Before politics, Zelenskyy rose to fame as a comedian. He starred in Servant of the People, playing a teacher who unexpectedly became president. Olena contributed as a writer for the show. Neither imagined that fiction would foreshadow real life. The series ended in 2019 when Zelenskyy became Ukraine’s actual president.

Stepping Into the Role of First Lady

As First Lady, Olena quickly championed children’s health and school nutrition reforms. When war erupted in 2022, she and her children chose to remain in Ukraine.
“I will not have panic and tears,” she wrote on Instagram. “I will be calm and confident. My children are looking at me. I will be next to them. And next to my husband. And with you.”

A Marriage Tested by War

The w*r changed family life. For safety reasons, Olena and her husband often cannot see each other.
“This isn’t normal,” she admitted. “It’s not a normal relationship when children cannot see their father and must speak only by phone. So our relationship is on pause—just like it is for all Ukrainians.”
Yet, she insists their bond has only grown stronger. “We’re never tired of each other. This pressure makes us closer emotionally,” she told the Daily Mail.

Love, Respect, and Resilience

For Olena, love alone is not enough. “It is very important that you can respect your nearest and dearest. I am happy that I can respect my husband… it would have been very hard to stay with him, even given huge love, if I hadn’t believed in his honesty.”

A Voice for Justice

Olena continues to call on the world not to forget who started the war. “Instead of stopping the aggressor, discussions begin about so-called mutually beneficial dialogue. This distorts reality and blurs morality. It’s extremely dangerous,” she warned on Italy’s Quarta Repubblica.
She stressed that Ukraine fights not for land, but for people. “These kilometers are their homes, their jobs, their schools. They deserve to live without fear.”

Figh.ting for Ukraine’s Children

The Ukrainian government says Russia has abd.uc.ted more than 19,000 children. So far, only 1,227 have returned.
“That is why the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children was created,” Olena explained. “Today, 41 countries are already part of this coalition.”

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