Three hundred and eighty-two days ago, Olena Zelenska was thrust into a role she didn’t ask for: first lady of a country at war.
The former screenwriter and editor is the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and, like her husband, has chosen to stay in Ukraine and support her people in their fight against Russia’s unprovoked invasion.
Zelenska (surnames are gendered in Ukrainian) has pivoted her agenda from one focused on health, equal opportunities and cultural diplomacy to attending to a humanitarian crisis. She has evacuated cancer patients so they can continue receiving necessary treatment; spearheaded new mental health initiatives to help people process and cope with the trauma of the war; and helped galvanize the support of the international community.
The first lady traveled to Abu Dhabi for the Forbes 30/50 Summit last week, appearing in conversation alongside former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Gloria Steinem, Billie Jean King and 30/50 Summit chair Mika Brzezinski. While in town for the event, Zelenska sat down with Forbes senior editor Maggie McGrath for an exclusive conversation about why she stayed in Ukraine, how the war is disproportionately affecting women, and what world leaders can do about the thousands of Ukrainian children who have been kidnapped and deported by Russian forces.
“We all have to remember that it’s not just Ukraine that must resist against the invaders, we all do,” Zelenska told Forbes. “Because no one would want to live in a world dominated by the rule of force.”
Watch the full interview here:
