PIERS MORGAN Ukrainians are tired but this is a matter of survival & we must continue fighting for our lives, says Olena Zelenska

 It's been 20 months since I last saw Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska with her husband, President Volodymyr Zelensky, in Kiev after Russia brutally invaded their country.

"I thought we met recently?" He replied with a strange expression.

"Not that long ago? I was feeling like not that much time had passed, so from this feeling I can understand that time has stopped in some way for us. In a way, things are happening very fast, things are changing Are." But at the same time, we feel that time stands still."

We met again at the Great Scotland Yard Hotel in Westminster, a few hundred yards from Downing Street and half a mile from Buckingham Palace.

She was at the end of a whirlwind two-day visit to Britain, in which she met Queen Camilla, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata and Foreign Secretary David Cameron.

Ms. Zelenska arrived for our exclusive interview for Piers Morgan Uncensored — the only interview she gave during the trip — accompanied by her team, including the bodyguard who protects her everywhere she goes.

She looked stunning in a black two-piece suit and cream blouse, holding an iPhone in her hand and greeting me in English with a warm smile: “Hi Pierce, good to see you again!”

"You would have been tired?" I suggested.

"I'm a little tired," she admitted. "But that's okay. I don't want to complain."

His sad eyes indicated exhaustion from the constant hell of war and when we began the interview, which he preferred to conduct in Ukrainian to avoid any misinterpretation, I asked a simple question: “How are you? ".

"It's hard," she admitted.

“It's not a sprint, it's a marathon.

“You can't be distracted by war.

“You can't forget about the war, go on vacation for a week away from the war.

"You're constantly in this state and you can't fully recharge. Ever."

“But the aim is to get enough energy.

“That's enough to continue living, to continue life.”

His spirits were lifted during the latest of several visits to Britain, a place very dear to his heart, because of the steadfast support Ukraine has received from our government, first under Boris Johnson and now under Sunak, and from the British people. Selflessly evacuated 200,000 Ukrainians to their homes, and to our royal family who are themselves living through a turbulent time.

Last week, on the second anniversary of the invasion, King Charles, who is suffering from cancer, issued a message saying: 'The determination and strength of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire, as their land, their lives and livelihoods come under unprovoked attack. Entering the third, sad, year.

"Despite the enormous hardships and suffering they have endured, Ukrainians continue to show the heroism with which the world so closely associates them. Theirs is true heroism in the face of unspeakable aggression."

“It was a great privilege to meet His Excellency,” Ms. Zelenska said of their 30-minute conversation at Clarence House, “and we also conveyed our good wishes to His Excellency and, on behalf of the President of Ukraine, our best wishes for his health.” From the Ukrainian nation. We were impressed by his address.

“We really feel the support of the Royal Family and through them the British nation. I have to say thank you to the British people, we feel your support.

"It's honest, it's warm, and it's not just a declaration. It's a feeling of honest and powerful support, and it really inspires us. Every time I come back from London, I feel inspired." Like I'm on vacation, like if I recharged my batteries, and so once again, thank you."

It's great to know that we have very honest and powerful friends in the royal family

Did she feel a 'show-must-go-on' connection with Queen Camilla?

"It would be difficult to compare our activities, but the public has expectations and you feel that way, and you have to live up to those expectations. And in that sense, I think, there is a similarity.

“She told me how many letters she is receiving addressed to His Majesty. And she tries to answer most of them.

"And it was great to hear that many Ukrainians wrote in support of Her Majesty because of her health. It's great to know that we have very sincere and powerful friends in the Royal Family."

The Prince and Princess of Wales visited the Ukrainian Cultural Center in London soon after the war started – which Ms Zelenska greatly appreciated.

“Those were shocking days after the start of the massive invasion,” she said, “and every gesture of support was very important to us, for us to understand that we were not alone in this tragedy.

“I don't know what would have happened if we hadn't seen such signs. I think we would have been more lost and confused.

“People in the world talk a lot about Ukrainian resilience and the way we coped in the early days. But I can say that this resilience was also dependent on external support. So, we are very grateful for that , and we don't forget that."

Did she get a chance to talk to her friend Catherine of Wales, who is recovering from stomach surgery?

"Unfortunately, no. I know the Princess needs rest. She has a very active social calendar, and she needs a break. I hope she has time for it and I try not to disturb her." "I'm leaving, but I'm sure he knows we support him, and we wish him all the best."

Ms Zelenska also paid tribute to our late, great Queen, saying: “I think, in general, the standard of support for Ukraine was set by the leadership of Queen Elizabeth II. In every process of support, a leader What is needed is a person who will set an example, and then, everyone who cares will follow this example.

"And if there had not been such a leader, I think, the public response would not have been as powerful or would have been slower. So, we are grateful. We remember that time very warmly and for us, he is the one I very "I think about important historical figures, I think about the whole world."

How grateful is she to the British people who have taken in Ukrainian families?

children's struggle

“I am not only grateful, but truly amazed at what a wonderful thing it is to take a stranger into your home. Especially when I talk to our refugees and they tell me their stories of how they were welcomed , and how they have befriended the British people who are looking after them.

"It's great to hear. It's great. I think it's a unique story. It's a very British, very British thing that so many people are taking other people into their homes, into their families.

"Don't just provide them with some help or support. No. They've taken these people into their homes. I think that's a uniquely, British thing."

As for his own family, the Zelenskys' two children, a 19-year-old daughter Okelsandra and 11-year-old son Kirillo, like all Ukrainian children, have struggled for years with the pandemic and now war.

"It would not be right to complain because our family's situation is no different from other families in Ukraine," he said. “But it's sad to me that they're losing these years of childhood... It's hard when you can't plan anything for your kids.

“You cannot dream of filling their lives with positive emotions together. Therefore, everything is on hold. No holidays, no rest.

"Everyone thinks about the war. My son talks about it all the time, and it's very difficult to explain it to kids. When your child asks you, 'When will the war end? Can you tell me?'

"There are no answers. No one has the answers. We all want this terrible time in our lives to end."

   How often do children see Volodymyr?

"About once a week for a few hours. Sometimes less often when he travels abroad, or he can't meet us for other reasons. Never more than that.

"Of course, it's a very hard time for him. He gets very tired. But he has his own ways to recharge. The kids always help. And he can have a silly time with them, singing silly songs, Can laugh with them." And it also helps recharge him."

Does she ever become overwhelmed with fear?

"Living in such a situation and seeing casualties every day is a tragedy. You can't switch off your emotions. Recently, I was moved by the story of an entire family killed in a missile attack, including a mother Had two sons.

"One of them was less than a year old. They were burned alive. These things never let you be happy or calm, and there are some things that finish you off, when you start crying and sobbing. But you Will have to cry.

"My job is to keep smiling, to keep talking to people, to keep motivating people, whether I have the energy for it or not. So, I try to keep my emotions inside. And those things are a great thing for me." There is a way." Walk for at least a few minutes."

keep smiling

   To lighten her mood, I read Volodymyr's tribute to her in Vogue magazine, when he said: "She is my love. She is my best friend. Olena is really my best friend. She is also a patriot. , and she loves Ukraine very much, and she is an excellent mother."

Ms. Zelenska's face immediately lit up with a smile.

"Luckily, he says this to me often. But we're really friends and I think that's the secret of our relationship. We understand each other and support each other."

“It's not just the words, well done, keep working, I believe in you. No, we can make each other laugh when needed or we can say to each other, 'Get it, do your work. ' We feel each other."

Criticism of President Zelensky has been increasing in Ukraine, where political opponents have accused him of corruption and becoming autocratic, and this has led to a decline in approval ratings.

   The mayor of Kiev, former world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, recently sneered: "Zelensky is paying for his mistakes. At some point, we will no longer be any different from Russia, where everything depends on the will of one man. Does."

Ms. Zelenska admitted: "I would very much prefer that the person who is responsible for everything be someone else, and not my husband. He would accept any criticism. For me, it is more difficult emotionally because I Sometimes I get angry, I get upset." All these things are hurtful when it's being said about someone you love and respect, it's never good."

Zelensky's most vocal critic is Putin, who warned in his state of the nation address in Moscow last week that if any other country tried to step in on the ground to help Ukraine there would be nuclear retaliation – as did the French president. Emmanuel Macron had suggested this could be an option.

When I asked Ms. Zelenska if she had a message for the Russian dictator, there was clear disgust on her face.

Don't get tired. If you are tired you are not our ally

“To be honest, I don't even want to say the name. When we were kids in the Soviet Union, sometimes kids would write letters and put them in time capsules and send them into space.

“And maybe someone, some day, an alien will find this capsule and read this message from these Soviet children of the 1970s.

"It's the same thing. Why would I write this message anywhere? No one will hear it. No one will pay attention. It's not written anywhere."

But when I pressed her again, she said: “I don't know what it's for? I can never understand it. Whatever answer he gives, I don't understand it. He comes, and I don't." I don't know how a normal person can live with this?"

Should Putin face war crimes charges?

"Behind every crime, there is a person who committed the crime and a person who committed the crime and we don't know every person who committed the crime, but we definitely know who committed the crime, who committed the crime. Ordered. And there must be a punishment for every crime."

The British government has called for the transfer of Russian assets to pay for Ukraine's recovery.

Ms Zelenska agreed: "Russia will have to pay financially for the damage it caused to Ukraine. For the destruction of our infrastructure. And we understand that we may never see any direct financial compensation, It would therefore be appropriate for these financial assets held by Russia to be frozen in our partner countries and spent on renewing our infrastructure.

"Why should our partners help us rebuild? Why shouldn't they be the ones destroying it?"

One of Ukraine's biggest problems is global 'war fatigue', whereby media attention shifts to other conflicts such as Israel and the Hamas war in Gaza.

He said, "We need to understand that more wars may start in other places, but that does not mean that the war in Ukraine will stop. And this war fatigue, of course, is sad to hear. We.

“Ukrainians are very tired! Ukrainians are tired, but we have to hold on, because it is a matter of our survival.

"Don't get tired. If you're tired, you're not our ally. We can't let you get tired. We can't say, 'Don't watch us. Don't watch us suffer.'

"If you're tired, you're not our friend. It's sad but that's life and we will continue to fight for our lives, for our children's lives and we will not get tired doing that."

And with that final emotional call, First Lady Olena Zelenska bid me farewell and departed early for Kiev to begin the long 20-hour plane-train-car journey back home to Kiev, and the war that never ends. Would.