‘Worst-case scenario for humanity will be…’: Ukraine’s first lady on Russia war

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska warned that Russia winning the war is “the worst-case scenario for all humanity” as she made a heartfelt plea to the world asking not to lose interest in her country as its soldiers are fighting for “the democratic balance of the world”.

“Please don’t get fatigued, because we as Ukrainians have no right to get tired. Ukraine defends not only its interests, not only its life. We are trying to maintain the whole democratic balance in the world,” she said.

Talking to Independent TV, Olena Zelenska said Ukraine is deeply concerned that the world is underestimating the wider threat from Russia.

“If the aggressor wins now, it will be the worst-case scenario for all of humanity,” Olena Zelenska said, adding, “This will mean that global deterrents aren’t working. This will mean that anyone with power, strength and sufficient financial capacity can do whatever they want.”

Ukraine desperately needs “faster” support to be able to combat the better-equipped Russian troops but pledges of military and humanitarian aid will not help win the war if delivery is too slow, she reflected.

“We keep hearing from our Western partners that they will be with us as long as it takes. ‘Long’ is not the word we should use. We should use the word ‘faster’,” she said.

“Ukrainians are paying for this war with the lives of our compatriots. The rest of the world pays with its resources. These are incomparable things, so we urge you to speed up this help,” she continued.

Talking about her family, she said that owing to security concerns she and her husband were being forced to live separately.

“I want to be together again. We really hope that somehow all this will change and we will be able to live a more or less normal family life,” she said.