Ukraine’s PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy, a former actor-comediannow leading his country’s defenseagainstRussian invaders, says he does not shield his children from the horrors of war — because, though he is aware of the toll, he wants them to understand the sacrifice their fellow citizens are making.
“My children know for sure what is happening and I don’t know whether it’s good or bad,” Zelenskyy, 44,told Fareed Zakariaon CNN’sGPSon Sunday.
The president and his wife, Ukraine’s First LadyOlena Volodymyrivna Zelenska, have a daughter, 17-year-old Oleksandra, and a 9-year-old son, Kyrylo.
“I have not explained anything to my children. They have said to me, ‘Dad, war is raging in Ukraine,’ " Zekenskyy told Zakaria. “At our home, we have the same freedom of speech as we have in our country. They know what we are fighting for. They understand all of that.”
Shortly after the invasion began on Feb. 24, Zelenskky said Russian forces “marked me as target No. 1, my family, as target No. 2,” but declined offers to be evacuated from Ukraine.
He later said that he has had few opportunities to see his family — who are said to be out of public view — as he focused on “work and sleep, that’s it” in the first week of the war.
“[My children] are proud of Ukraine, very proud,” Zelenskyy continued in his CNN interview on Sunday. “They entertain a sincere hope in our victory. Children believe in victory, but they cannot believe in it terms of a score in some sort of a game like in football — like we have killed 10 people from Russia and they have killed five people from Ukraine. They simply believe that the good shall prevail.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.Ukrainian Presidency/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Zelenskyy haskept a high profile during the conflictdespite risks to his safety, appearing in daily video messages, addressing world leaders andvisiting wounded soldiers and civiliansin Kyiv even as Russian attacks on the capital city become more frequent and intense.
The president indicated on Sunday he wants his kids to understand the cost Ukrainians face while defending their country.
“In order to prevail, the good people have to sacrifice themselves. Fortunately, we do not have to explain anything to our children,” he said on CNN, adding that his daughter and son are free to view “any kinds of videos and news” about the war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, first lady Olena Zelenska and their two children.olenazelenska_official/Instagram
“My children should not be prohibited from seeing any kinds of videos of what Russia has made,” he said. “My son has to be aware of it because while my son is alive, that means that some Ukrainian army member is giving up his life.”
Asked how he is personally handling the fear and stress of war, Zelenskyy said he’s just doing what “everyone else in Ukraine is doing.” But the hardest part is knowing that so many people, including children,are dying.
“I’m holding up quite well. As of now, my weakest point is losing people, losing children in these huge numbers and this huge amount of casualties,” he said. “I go to sleep with this information about children who were killed. We continue to pray.”
Russia launched its large-scale invasion last month — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.
People remove personal belongings from a burning house after being shelled in the city of Irpin, outside Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 4.ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty
With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Zelenskyy called for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy vowed not to bend.
“Nobody is going to break us, we’re strong, we’re Ukrainians,“he told the European Unionin a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, “Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness.”
source: people.com
