Ukraine first lady wants country's kids to see themselves as 'generation of winners'

UZHHOROD, Ukraine -- Ukraine’s first lady wants her country’s children to view themselves not as a generation enduring a grinding war but rather as “a generation of winners.”

On the sidelines of a day spent at a rehabilitation camp for Ukrainian children in the relatively safe western city of Uzhhorod, Olena Zelenska said Tuesday that working with the next generation was a moral obligation and a “strategic priority” for Ukraine’s future.

Many of the children will return to front-line cities after spending a few weeks at the camp created by Voices of the Children charity, barely enough time to overcome the trauma they face over and over.

“This issue needs to be addressed immediately, as soon as it arises, before it grows into something more,” Zelenska told The Associated Press in a brief interview at the camp, which is sponsored by the foundation that bears her name.

A study by the Olena Zelenska Foundation, funded entirely by foreign donations, and the Kyiv School of Economics this year found that 44% of Ukrainian children show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Since the start of the war, she has emerged as a global unofficial ambassador for Ukraine. She was the first member of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's family to leave the country after the Russian invasion in February 2022 to promote Ukraine's cause. However, she is equally active within Ukraine, and frequently visits displaced families and wounded soldiers.

Dressed casually in black pants, a white T-shirt and sneakers, with pearls around her neck, Zelenska took part in the camp’s activities with the children. At an art therapy session, she sat beside a boy whose home was struck by an aerial bomb and who was later forced to evacuate from his hometown ahead of the Russian advance this summer.

Zelenska smiled and engaged with the children, examining each watercolor they presented. She even joined in, drawing a pink flower, a star and a heart. The conversation stayed away from the war.

“To ensure our children do not become a lost generation, we as adults must take quick action,” Zelenska said. “It’s difficult with the ongoing defense of the country. However, I am confident that political will combined with international cooperation can work wonders.”

The first lady said she first heard about “war fatigue” in the summer of 2022, but refuses to believe in it.

“When your neighbor has a fire, it seems pointless to say: ‘I’m tired of your fire. Stop it. Let’s forget about it,’” she said. "We still need help and we will continue to ask for it. Not because we are bold, but because it is vital for our survival.”

During one of the activities, a mystery guest connected via an online call and the children had to guess who he was. One child shouted it might be the Ukrainian president. The first lady quickly responded, “No, Zelenskyy is currently busy,” prompting laughter from dozens of children.

The guest was revealed to be Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk.

Zelenska studied architecture but wound up working as a comedy scriptwriter, including for Zelenskyy, who was a comedian with a popular television show before winning the presidency in 2019.

The couple periodically appear in public together, visiting schools or rehabilitation centers and making formal visits abroad. The scrutiny has taken a toll on Zelenska, who was not a public figure before her husband became president.

“I feel a responsibility because I understand that all eyes are on us,” she said. “Even when you’re not doing anything particularly special, people still assess how the president’s family is functioning during the war — what they’re doing, where they are, how they are behaving.”

Zelenska noted that since the start of the invasion, Ukraine has been in a constant humanitarian crisis, with one of the biggest issues being internally displaced people and several million refugees abroad. Fighting prevents many children from attending school in person, while blackouts across the country force many educational institutions in relatively safe regions to switch to online learning.

“We need the war to end, infrastructure for education to be in place, and for parents to feel secure," she said. “We would very much like these children to be able to physically go to school, see their teachers and peers, and interact together. But for now, it’s impossible.”

Zelenska said that one of the topics she regularly draws attention to during her foreign visits is the forcible deportation of more than 19,500 Ukrainian children by Russia from the occupied territories. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's children’s rights commissioner, accusing them of abducting children from Ukraine.

The first lady said holding Russia accountable must remain a key part of any end to the war.

“Only then will it be a victory,” she said. "It may not be quick, but we need to constantly keep in mind this vision of how it should be so that nothing is forgotten and no one is left out.”

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Associated Press reporter Efrem Lukatsky contributed to this report