First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during at opening night of Web Summit 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal on November 1, 2022.
Rita Franca | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska on Wednesday called on Western leaders to supply more military support because the country continues to defend itself against Russia’s onslaught.
Zelenska urged the international community to not grow fatigued by the war, saying allied countries must fight the aggressor together.
“I understand that these are outside the duties of first ladies, but we’re already outside the conventional protocols due to war,” Zelenska told CNBC’s Karen Tso, in response to a translation.
“Ukraine needs more weapons, more military assistance,” she said, calling specifically for air defense missiles.
“We would like to take our youngsters to high school without fear, without worrying that a missile will strike us at any time. We want weapons for our soldiers to fight and all of it comes, we’re very grateful for that,“ Zelenska added.
Winter approaching
Zelenska, who’s the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine was grateful for the help received up to now but added that continued support is required, especially ahead of the winter.
Because the war enters its ninth month, Zelenska said that the cold weather poses an extra crisis, with Russian President Vladimir Putin likely hoping to seize on waning resources and weakened morale in Ukraine, at the same time as his own side suffers deep losses.
We would like to take our youngsters to high school without fear.
Olena Zelenska
first lady of Ukraine
She added that the West weakening its support now could be a tragedy not just for Ukraine but for all of Kyiv’s allies.
“The tragedy that happened to Ukraine touched everybody, we feel a powerful support from everyone. If assistance will diminish, we will probably be in great danger,” she said.
Technology a ‘battlefield’
Zelenska was speaking on the Web Summit conference in Lisbon, Portugal, where on Tuesday she highlighted the role of technology in the continuing conflict.
The primary lady described technology as a “battlefield” within the invasion, noting that technological equipment including drones and missiles were getting used to kill people reasonably than save them.
About 40% of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is estimated to have been seriously damaged by Russian missile and drone strikes, Zelenskyy said Wednesday.
Zelenska called on tech entrepreneurs and investors to speculate in Ukraine’s tech and science sectors and make donations to her Olena Zelenska Foundation, which goals to revive Ukrainian hospitals and schools been destroyed within the war.
Children “ought to be flying to Mars, not running to their basements” to flee Russian shelling in war shelters, Zelenska said.
“You’re the force that moves the world,” she continued. “You will have the potential and technologies that will help, not destroy; that by helping Ukraine, you possibly can move the world in the correct direction.”
Zelenska has change into a distinguished figure following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, recurrently meeting with global leaders and advocating for greater international support, particularly for kids and mental health.
— CNBC’s Ryan Browne contributed to this report.
