To support children during the war, Ukraine is expanding mental health services and implementing every possible program in this area. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska spoke about this in an interview with the British outlet The Sun.
“The issue of children often remains behind the curtains of wartime events. But it is the most important humanitarian aspect, and I want this issue to be heard more loudly. The war has already become the background of our children’s lives, but we cannot allow a life of uncertainty and anxiety to be considered normal,” the President’s wife said.
Olena Zelenska emphasized that Ukrainian children are forced to witness the deaths of loved ones and bury classmates killed in Russian attacks, and that these experiences leave a lasting mark on them. That is why Ukraine is doing everything possible to support them during the war.
“We must not allow these children to define themselves forever as ‘children of war.’ We must do everything possible to support their education, their opportunities, and an ordinary childhood. None of this can wait until after the war. We must act now so that we do not lose an entire generation,” the First Lady said.
The President’s wife also highlighted the issue of Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children and the difficulties involved in bringing them home.
“To turn children into victims of its propaganda, Russia no longer even needs to take them deep into its own territory: a system of indoctrination has already been established in the temporarily occupied territories – in schools, kindergartens, and so-called re-education camps,” Olena Zelenska added.
The First Lady stressed that peace is impossible without the return to Ukraine of every child abducted by Russia. According to official data alone, there are at least 20,000 of them.
“We know from the Russians themselves that the occupiers regard these children as captives. At one stage of the negotiations, the Ukrainian delegation proposed that Russia return 300 children from a verified list. In response, Russian representatives cynically suggested including them on a prisoner-of-war exchange list... This shows that our children are indeed being treated as captives. As spoils of war. As bargaining chips. But Ukraine will fight for every child,” Olena Zelenska said.