First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska during the 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 urged Western leaders to offer more military support while the country continues to defend itself against Russia’s onslaught.
Zelenska urged the international community not to be weary of the war, saying allied countries must fight the aggressor together.
“I understand that this is outside the duties of First Ladies, but we are already outside of normal protocols due to the war,” According to a translation, Zelenska told CNBC’s Karen Tso.
“Ukraine needs more weapons, more military aid,” she said, specifically calling for anti-aircraft missiles.
“We want to bring our children to school without fear, without fear that a missile will hit us at any time. We need weapons for our soldiers to fight and everything is coming, we are very grateful for that,“ Zelenska added.
Winter is coming
Zelenska, wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Ukraine is grateful for the aid it has received so far, but added that further assistance is needed, especially ahead of the winter.
As the war enters its ninth month, Zelenska said the cold weather presents an additional crisis, with Russian President Vladimir Putin likely hoping to take advantage of dwindling resources and weakened morale in Ukraine, even if his own side suffer heavy casualties suffers.
We want to bring our children to school without fear.
Olena Selenska
First Lady of Ukraine
She added that if the West were to weaken its support now, it would be a tragedy not only for Ukraine but for all of Kiev’s allies.
“The tragedy that happened in Ukraine touched everyone, we feel strong support from everyone. If aid dwindles, we’re in grave danger,” she said.
Technology a “battlefield”
Zelenska was speaking at the Web Summit conference in Lisbon, Portugal, where she highlighted the role of technology in the ongoing conflict on Tuesday.
The first lady described the technology as a “battlefield” in the invasion, noting that technological equipment, including drones and missiles, was used to kill people rather than save them.
About 40 percent of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure was severely damaged by Russian missile and drone attacks, Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.
Zelenska called on tech entrepreneurs and investors to invest in Ukraine’s tech and science sectors and make donations to her Olena Zelenska Foundation, which aims to restore Ukrainian hospitals and schools destroyed in the war.
Children should “fly to Mars and not run to their basements” to flee Russian shelling in war shelters, Zelenska said.
“You are the force that moves the world,” she continued. “They have the potential and technologies that can help, not destroy; that by helping Ukraine you can move the world in the right direction.”
Zelenska has risen to prominence following Russia’s February 24 invasion of Ukraine, meeting regularly with world leaders and campaigning for more international support, particularly for children and mental health.
— CNBC’s Ryan Browne contributed to this report.