The fate of the Kherson region has yet to be decided, on the battlefield and beyond. This was stated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. He and his wife Olena gave a special interview on CNN, in front of reporter Christian Amanpour.
Here are the highlights from the interview:
Mr. President, almost 9 months have passed since the war began. Did you expect it to last this long and have any idea how long it would last?
Volodymyr Zelensky: You ask me if in my opinion the war would have lasted that long. No, because I didn’t start this war and I’m sure no Ukrainian could have imagined what a tragedy it would be for our country. I repeat, we did not start this war, but nevertheless Ukraine united and showed that it is ready to face even such a test. She has shown that she is ready to take on any challenge. I was impressed by the strength of our people and the support that Europe and the entire world community have given us.
Zelenska, what gives you the strength to get up every morning? How has this war affected you?
Olena Zelenska: This is a serious question because it covers many areas of my life. What gives me strength? The example my husband gives me! I know that as soon as he can do it, I have to do it too! We have to keep fighting and that inspires me. There is no such thing as an easy day, but I know that I don’t have to stop for a moment. Another incentive for me are the children. And our family lives their life like everyone else: I get the kids ready for school, I cook breakfast. Unfortunately, I can’t be sure that my child will go to school due to the constant bombings with rockets and drones… It also helps me a lot that I work on many humanitarian projects.
Mr. President, we are all watching losses on the Russian side as well as their actions on the battlefield in Ukraine, but the Pentagon recently said: “Russia has probably lost half of its tanks and precision missiles in this war. 80% of their military force is stuck in Ukraine”. Is your data like this?
Volodymyr Zelensky: I think that’s largely true. To be honest, nobody knows exactly what’s going on, how many people have died. In any case, the artillery that came to our aid from the United States and Europe broke off the advance launched by Russia on February 24th. We managed to stop them. We have retaken a large part of the occupied territories. All this thanks to new technologies. We have not had to resort to extreme measures despite Russia’s lies that we will use a “dirty bomb” or nuclear weapons. Right after the allegations from Russia, we invited nuclear experts and they proved it was just lies. So I can’t confirm those numbers, but I can certainly say the losses for them are high.
Bigger than your defeats?
Volodymyr Zelensky: Yes, about 10 times bigger. I can’t say for sure, but the difference is significant. Our tactic is not just to throw people to the front because they are the most precious thing, they are not cannon fodder. When we ask our partners for military aid, we do so primarily to protect ourselves and our families.
Ms Zelenska, you recently returned from Lisbon where you attended a technology conference. The world saw that Ukraine very skillfully works precisely with new technologies. What was your message there?
Olena Zelenska: My message was simple and I hope they listened to me. The people who had gathered there are leading the technological development of the world. These people can influence the direction in which the world develops. So I asked them to choose sides. What technologies do they want to develop? Technologies that kill or technologies that protect? We have more than one clear example. A recent study has revealed a group of young Russian IT specialists who worked in the private sector before the war and are now targeting our buildings with missiles. This is a conscious choice of these specialists. They choose to be assassins and terrorists. So I’ve asked everyone in this conference to make their choice on moral and ethical grounds.
Mr. President, what is happening in Kherson and the fighting right now?
Volodymyr Zelensky: This is an important question and I will be honest with you. I answer you without answering you, because important military actions are coming up there, which are discussed only in a very narrow circle. I want to surprise the enemy in an unpleasant way, I don’t want him to be prepared. That’s why I apologize. But everyone should know that we are working in a direction that will have a favorable outcome for Ukraine and all those who support us.
Ms. Zelenska, we have heard of many Ukrainian children who have been kidnapped in Russia. We don’t know what happens to them. In Kiev, these days I have observed the children: they are traumatized by this war, they are frightened by the sirens. The children are told to shut up and hide. Some have already seen terrifying places. You are both a mother and a person who works on mental health related projects.
Olena Zelenska: The abduction of our children is a great tragedy. Their number is already large enough. In the summer, Russians also passed laws to facilitate adoptions. They facilitated the procedure for adopting Ukrainian children – it’s terrifying. We have to fight for them. We are currently evacuating children from Odessa. Turkey helps us a lot in this regard. We’re trying to save them before it’s too late. A few days ago I learned that some of the children have been transferred to occupied Kherson. We can’t reach them, we can’t save them. We hope our partners help us with this too. As for their mental health, after everything they’ve seen in this war, we can’t even imagine how it’s affecting them. We are trying to help them, specialists are already working with them.
I see this makes you very sad. I see you looking at your wife…
Volodymyr Zelensky: It’s hard to live with… But I think you shouldn’t get used to it, but fight against it!
