(PatriotWise.com)- In recent weeks, Olena Zelenska, the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has seen so little of her husband that she joked about categorizing their latest joint interview as a “date.”
Zelenska appeared on the Ukrainian television network ICTV with her husband and the father of her two children, marking only the second time the two have been seen together in public since Russian occupation forces invaded Ukraine, and she said they have been communicating primarily by phone since the war began.
Zelenska recounted hearing strange noises when she awoke on the day the war began, and her husband was already up and dressed in another room. He only said one thing, “It has started.”
She told ICTV that hearing the words aloud made her feel anxiety and stupor.
Olena said that her family was torn apart, just as all Ukrainian families were. Zelenska recalled the days and weeks that followed, saying that her husband lives and breathes his role, and she hadn’t seen him in months.
Some of their time apart might have been for their own safety, as Russian operatives were said to be looking for a chance to kill Ukraine’s president in the early days of the conflict.
The Ukraine President said in late February that the enemy had designated him as the number one target. According to their intelligence, they seek to destabilize Ukraine politically by assassinating the President.
He then said that his family was the number two target.
His wife and children were taken to a secret place for safety while he stayed in Kyiv.
When one of the ICTV hosts questioned Zelenska whether she felt that the conflict had stolen her spouse away, she quickly said that no one, “not even the war, can take my spouse away from me.”
Olena, 44, came to politics through the entertainment industry, as did her spouse. Before becoming the first lady, she worked as a playwright. In contrast, Zelensky was a comedian and actor who even performed the part of the president before obtaining the post in real life.
The Ukrainian First Lady’s last public appearance was on Mother’s Day when she met with her American counterpart, First Lady Jill Biden.
Mrs. Zelensky was very cordial and appreciative of Jill Biden’s visit. She said that Ukrainians understand what it takes for the First Lady of the United States to travel here during a conflict, when military engagements happen every day, while air sirens sound every day.
