In Vienna, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska held several meetings dedicated to humanitarian aid, education, children's mental health, and countering disinformation.
The President’s wife met with Austria’s Federal Minister for European and International Affairs Beate Meinl-Reisinger who was one of the first European politicians to personally deliver humanitarian aid to Ukraine in 2022.
Olena Zelenska informed the Minister about the latest Russian attack on Ukrainian cities involving over 400 drones and missiles.
Beate Meinl-Reisinger expressed her condolences to the Ukrainian people and to all those who lost loved ones as a result of the Russian strike.
The First Lady thanked Austria for all the support, which Ukraine feels and appreciates.
The central focus of the meeting was the humanitarian dimension of assistance to our state.
A significant part of the First Lady’s visit was also devoted to the development of the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies. Olena Zelenska met with the leadership of the universities of Vienna, Graz, Klagenfurt, and Innsbruck – higher education institutions that maintain partnerships with Ukrainian higher education institutions in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernivtsi, and Drohobych.
“The lectures, courses, and events these universities organize are especially valuable, as most European textbooks presented Ukrainian history in the context of Russian history. This was confirmed by a 2022 study by the Ukrainian Institute. But today, we are taking another step away from Russian narratives: these universities are joining the Coalition of Ukrainian Studies,” the First Lady noted.
During the meeting, university representatives signed a corresponding memorandum.
The Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies is a government initiative aimed at promoting Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar studies worldwide, countering disinformation and distortions in academia, and fostering partnerships between Ukrainian and foreign universities. To date, 67 universities from around the world have already applied to join the coalition.