President Zelenski has admitted he is ‘very concerned’ about what will ever happen to Britain’s aid to Ukraine Boris Johnson leaves the office.
The UK has been ‘leaders’ in supporting Kievtold Zelensky Piers Morgan during a sit-down with wife Olena in Kiev, but the country needs “at least as much support” from whoever stops the Russian army.
While he’s confident the UK won’t shy away from war, whoever takes the helm, Zelensky said his “personal relationship with Boris” has helped accelerate the level of support — and he won’t be like that right away. to have a relationship with his successor.
Meanwhile, First Lady Zelenska recounted the early hours and days of the invasion, saying her “cheeks ached from smiling” as she put on a brave face for their children – Oleksandra, who turned 18 two weeks ago, and nine-year-old Kyrylo.
Speaking from Ukraine’s heavily fortified presidential palace to Piers Morgan Uncensored, Olena said she was “a little concerned” about how she would tell her children that a war had started when she went to wake them up from that first day.
“But luckily I didn’t have to, because when I entered my daughter’s room, she was already awake and understood everything,” said Olena.
‘I didn’t see panic in her eyes. She just asked me, “What should we do now?”
“And that was the exact same question I asked my husband and what he told me was, ‘Wait, wait, and I’ll tell you.'”
A short time later, armed guards arrived at the president’s residence and took Olena and her children away from the capital to safety.
Zelensky stayed, knowing it would give his country and its soldiers courage to see their leader defy Putin’s attack in the capital.
It would be months before the couple would see each other again in real life. Zelensky has still not been able to see his children for fear that Russia will try to kill them.
“I had some thoughts,” Olena admitted. ‘Would it be possible for me to see him again? How long will it take? What happens now? The fear was there.
“But I tried not to show my kids that I was confused, that I was afraid…
‘It was important to me to be in a good mood, to keep talking to them, to smile at them. This is what I had to do and after this very long day, believe me, my cheeks hurt because I had to smile and be happy.’
Olena revealed that she now sees her husband “several times a week in the office,” while Volodymyr joked that the interview was something of a “date” – one of the rare good occasions when they can see each other.
‘I miss my children, I miss my wife. It is impossible to get used to it. Anything else you can get used to,” he said.
She added: ‘Of course, [the children] miss him… our daughter who graduated from school is going to university and today she is going to take her exam.
“She really needs her dad to be around, to be able to talk to him during this period – she’s going into adult life.
“It’s so important to make sure there’s a smooth transition for her, but unfortunately this is something we can’t afford.”
Although times are tough, Olena says it’s the strength of the Ukrainian people that keeps her going.
“What’s supportive, what helps us, you understand you’re not alone,” she said.
“The entire Ukrainian people are in this situation. Too many are separated and we are all waiting for our victory and waiting for a normal life – to be reunited again and just live a normal life the way ordinary people live.”
But the end will not come soon. Zelensky categorically ruled out a deal with Russia to cede territory in exchange for a ceasefire.
“We have no right to do this… this land belongs to the Ukrainian people,” he said.
When Piers pointed out that the Ukrainians he spoke to all agreed there could be no deal, Zelensky added: “They hate, they hate and it’s understandable.
‘What’s going on when so many families have lost, for example, their neighbors, their children? Can Russia, or can Russia give back a child?
‘No. So right now emotion, just one emotion. Hate.’
When asked about his counterpart, Vladimir Putin, Zelensky admits that the “scariest” thought of all is that he is healthy and knows exactly what he is doing.
“He is enemy number one in this war,” Zelensky says.
“He knows how many people he kills. He knows how many people have been raped and by whom, and how many children have been murdered or deported…’
Victory, Zelensky continued, is assured. Russia will never be able to subjugate Ukraine or the Ukrainian people without destroying them completely.
All that remains to be decided is the nature of the victory.
“We will win, we have already shown the whole world that he can kill us, but it is impossible to conquer our people,” he said.
“Millions of soldiers may die, but he cannot occupy the people. He can occupy these towns and villages, but they would all be destroyed.
“Because without ruining them they won’t be able to take those places.”
Russia has now spent five months in what should have been a days-long “special military operation” to kill or capture Zelensky and his family and set up a puppet regime.
What should have been a lightning strike on Kiev to capture the capital and decapitate the government ran aground and was then wrapped up.
An offensive in the east to capture the Donbas had limited success when the city of Mariupol and then the province of Luhansk were captured – but has now stalled.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is laying the groundwork for a major counter-attack in the south to retake the city of Kherson.
The main bridge leading from the city – the only regional capital captured by Russia during the invasion – to the rest of the occupied territory has now been severed after being hit by precision HIMARS missiles.
Two other bridges – a nearby railway bridge and a second road bridge over the Nova Khakokva Dam – have also been damaged and may not be fully operational.
That means Russia has no easy way to bolster forces defending Kherson on the western bank of the Dnipro River, and no easy way to retreat if attacked.
A Ukrainian attack, which would be the war’s first major offensive operation, is expected to take place shortly.
If they win, it will give a much-needed boost to the war effort and prove – at least in theory – that the goal of retaking territory from Russia is possible.
That will likely increase allies’ support, both in terms of funds and weapons, with the aim of taking back more occupied territory.
If you lose, Ukraine risks fading support from its allies as Putin ramps up pressure by choking Europe’s gas supplies before the winter.
It would also be a major propaganda victory for Putin, and could weaken the Ukrainian military to the point where more counter-attacks become impossible.