There's often one story that dominates a foreign posting.
asserted
that → be → posting
For me, it's been the war in Ukraine, and as a result, there's one person I've studied and spoken about more than most — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
But in the background, he's had a powerful confidant and warrior fighting a very different battle — his wife, Olena Zelenska.
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he → be → battle
She granted me a rare interview to talk about the job of First Lady in a time of war.
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She → grant → war
As her husband has focused on the front lines and global diplomacy for more weapons and aid, Ms Zelenska has, in parallel, waged a war to save Ukraine's future generations.
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Zelenska → focus → generations
She's led efforts to turn teachers, pharmacists, police officers and social workers into frontline counsellors and started a foundation to build new homes for kids orphaned by the war.
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She → lead → war
It's a contemporary approach to an old-school conflict, looking to the long-term health of the community as well as its immediate survival.
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It → look → community
But as a mother of two children, the battle that's perhaps closest to Olena Zelenska's heart is fighting for the return of tens of thousands of Ukrainian kids Russia has abducted, forcibly transferred or deported since its invasion.
asserted
Russia → fight → invasion
Thriving away from the limelight
This work is how we find ourselves meeting in Bucha, on the outskirts of the capital Kyiv.
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ourselves → thrive → capital
The location of a brutal massacre of civilians by Russian soldiers in 2022, the city holds a painful significance for the people of Ukraine.
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city → hold → Ukraine
Many here believe it was proof that Moscow's invasion was about annihilating Ukrainian culture, with little or no regard for international rules of engagement.
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invasion → believe → engagement
A local family has invited us inside their home, newly built by the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
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family → invite → Foundation
These foster parents now care for 10 children orphaned by war, a household dynamic that's become common in Ukraine.
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that → care → Ukraine
We arrive at the house early, for obvious reasons.
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We → arrive → reasons
The entire street is locked down with presidential security stationed at every corner, which we're not allowed to film, also for obvious reasons.
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we → lock → reasons
Our bags and camera equipment are thoroughly searched.
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bags → search → ?
The First Lady's team monitors for drones and missiles, and her time on the ground is strictly limited.
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time → monitor → ground
Dressed in a commanding mission green suit, she walks in and immediately turns her attention to the children, who crowd around her, smiling.
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who → dress → her
"Have you had a chance to look around?" she asks me.
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she → have → me
"It's a great house," I reply before stupidly asking if she's met the family before.
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she → reply → family
To which she replies: "Of course!"
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she → reply → which
This is the kind of environment she relishes.
Not on national television, or at major global events, but out in the community meeting regular, everyday people.
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she → relish → people
She shies away from the limelight her husband, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, thrives in.
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husband → shy → limelight
The couple met at high school in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, in south-east Ukraine, and after studying their respective degrees, decided on pursuing a career in comedy.
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couple → meet → comedy
But when Russia invaded her country four and a half years ago, she found herself front and centre of a tragedy she could never have imagined.
uncertain
she → invade → tragedy
It's often difficult to peel back the layers, the outer armour, so to speak, of a person in her position, but she instantly puts me at ease.
Her face lights up as the children excitedly grab her hand to show off their rooms.
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children → peel → rooms
She crouches down to pat the dog and tells me how they have two at home.
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they → crouch → home
As I hand the children a bunch of London-themed books, including the famed Paddington Bear, Ms Zelenska casually leans across to tell me that her husband was the voice of the character in the Ukrainian version of the movies.
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husband → hand → movies
It was a glimpse into her former life and a time much simpler than the one she and her president husband now live.
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she → live → one
The First Lady insists we do the interview inside one of the children's bedrooms because she doesn't want to impose on the family any more than we must.
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we → insist → more
In yet another glimpse of her humility, she starts by thanking me for reporting on the plight of Ukraine's stolen children, which she doesn't believe is covered enough in the Western media.
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she → start → media
Russia systematically abducts Ukrainian children, and we are trying to bring them back," she tells Foreign Correspondent.
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she → abduct → Correspondent
"You can't imagine this kidnapping of children can actually be such a system, the way Russia does it.
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Russia → imagine → it
"You don't believe that normal, conscious, adult people can deliberately design such policies and commit such illegal actions against children.
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people → believe → children
"I think we must speak about this as loudly as possible and on as many platforms as possible."
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we → think → platforms
Moscow hasn't returned most of the children taken since it invaded.
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it → return → children
A mixed look of frustration and dismay crosses the First Lady's face when I ask how the world can help.
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world → cross → face
"Increasing pressure on the aggressor state to provide information is the first step," she says.
"
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she → increase → information
We must verify all the children who are currently there.
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who → verify → children
"Because, to the Russians, it seems that no-one in the world knows about this.
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one → seem → this
We need help so that we are not fighting this battle alone."
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we → need → battle
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia