First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska participated online in the International Summit “GROWING EUROPE 2025: Shaping Europe’s Demographic Future by Investing in Families and Every New Life,” held in Vilnius on November 17–18.
The First Lady expressed her gratitude to the First Lady of Lithuania, Diana Nausėdienė, for organizing the summit and for her leadership on this issue, as well as to other colleagues from the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.
“According to UN forecasts, women around the world will give birth less and less. By the end of the century, most families will have only one child. In the European Union, the fertility rate is just 1.5. In Ukraine, because of Russia’s invasion, this figure is at the lowest point in our history – around 0.8–0.9 according to various estimates. The feeling of security has the greatest influence on the decision to bring a new life into the world,” Olena Zelenska emphasized.
The President’s wife also noted that the summit is taking place on a symbolic date: World Prematurity Day.
“Unfortunately, the number of premature births in Ukraine has increased because of the stress of war experienced by mothers. My colleagues from the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen remember well how, at the beginning of the invasion, we had to urgently bring in incubators for these newborns,” she said.
The First Lady stressed that Ukraine seeks to respond to demographic challenges with social support for childhood and families, because this is also part of the country’s defense.
“Among the projects I patronize are support for large foster families, the construction of bomb shelters for schools, and the renovation of kitchen facilities and cafeterias. And right now, Ukraine is joining the European Child Guarantee – the European program that ensures children’s access to free education and care, medical assistance, adequate housing, and nutrition,” Olena Zelenska said.
The First Lady separately thanked European countries for protecting and supporting Ukrainian children and mothers.
“Investing now in families and children, creating opportunities and care for them is the best demographic decision any country can make. Because at the same time, it is an investment in peace, resilience, and the future of all Europe. I believe that if we see a person and their needs behind every statistic, all our indicators will change for the better – as will human lives,” the First Lady concluded.