"Ukrainians are being killed in front of the whole world for the whole year in their own cities, villages, apartments, hospitals, theaters," Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska told a panel of UN diplomats by video February 22, 2023
AFP

KEY POINTS

  • Olena Zelenska is in the UAE for the Forbes 30/50 Summit
  • She discussed with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed the impact of the Russian invasion on Ukrainian children
  • Sheikh Mohammed pledged to support Zelenska's initiative to build orphanages for the child victims of the war

Ukrainian First Lady Olena met UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and thanked the Emirates for providing humanitarian support to thousands of war refugees.

Zelenska was in the UAE to take part in the Forbes 30/50 Summit, which runs in Abu Dhabi until Friday.

During their meeting, the first lady discussed with Sheikh Mohammed the impact of the war on children, before thanking the president for the humanitarian support, Arab News reported.

In response, Sheikh Mohammed reaffirmed his commitment to help the people of Ukraine through financial and humanitarian assistance, and highlighted the importance of combining both regional and international efforts to resolve the conflict and facilitate the country's recovery.

He also donated $4 million to Zelenska's charitable foundation established to develop orphanages that will provide homes for children affected by the war, WAM reported.

In a tweet following their meeting, Zelenska once again thanked the UAE for taking part in her initiative.

"Personally expressed my gratitude to the President of UAE, Sheikh @MohamedBinZayed, for his support of Ukraine at international level and for humanitarian assistance to Ukrainians. Also, pleased that UAE will join @Zelenska_FND project to build homes for family-type orphanages," she wrote.

Meanwhile, Zelenska emphasized in her speech in celebration of the International Women's Day at the Forbes 30/50 Summit the role of other first ladies and gentlemen in bettering the world.

"We are a force, and we can continue to change the world," she said, while acknowledging the work the people of Ukraine have done for the country amid the ongoing conflict.

The Ukrainian first lady has taken a more active role in promoting Ukraine since the Russian invasion. In May 2022, she met with U.S. first lady Jill Biden when she made a surprise visit from Slovakia. She has also met with other world leaders to speak on behalf of Ukraine.

During a meeting with the leaders of the United Nations last month, Zelenska showed a video tour of human violations happening in her country as a result of the Russian invasion in a bid to defend her people's rights. "We have the right to live free, not to be killed or tortured," she said.