Being 'hunted' feels like 'bad action movie,' Ukraine's first lady says
In this handout file photo dated Feb. 20, 2022, made available by the Ukrainian Presidency on the Day of the Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred, Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska (L) and her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, honor the memory of activists who died in 2014 during the Revolution of Dignity. (Photo by Ukrainian Presidency/ABACAPRESS.COM via Reuters)


Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska refuses to give up hope for peace despite the horrors of the ongoing Russian attacks and her family being "hunted."

"The fact that my family and I are being hunted feels like a bad action movie," Zelenska, a former comedy scriptwriter and mother of two, told the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit.

"But then I remember what the invaders have already done, how many defenseless children have been killed, whole families wiped out, unarmed Ukrainians shot."

Still, the 44-year-old says she remains hopeful. "We will win, and I am sure Ukrainians will return, rebuild the cities destroyed by the Russian invaders and work to restore the economy and infrastructure," she explained.

Amid her efforts, with the first ladies of France and Poland, Brigitte Macron and Agata Kornhauser-Duda, Zelenska helped organize flights for Ukrainian children who need cancer treatment.

She said she would also like to request the same type of cooperation from German first lady Elke Büdenbender and her husband, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

"I have not yet received an offer from Elke Büdenbender ... but I would be happy and grateful for such initiatives. I am sure that together we can achieve more," Zelenska said.

It would also be a great help if medicines and medical equipment could be delivered for sick children in Ukraine, she said.