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Ukraine's first lady says her relationship with Zelenskyy is 'on pause' as they can't see each other for long periods during the war

Business Insider 6/29/2022 sankel@businessinsider.com (Sophia Ankel)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the first lady, Olena Zelenska. PressOffice of Ukrainian Presidency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

© PressOffice of Ukrainian Presidency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the first lady, Olena Zelenska. PressOffice of Ukrainian Presidency/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Ukraine's first lady said she doesn't get to see her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,
often.
Olena Zelenska told CNN that their relationship was "on pause."
She said her kids can only talk to Zelenskyy on the phone, and that they are "waiting to be reunited."

Ukraine this week said it seized a trove of assets belonging to Pro-Russia tycoon Viktor Medvedchuk. A 2014 photo series showcasing one of his country homes highlights the politician's extreme wealth. The property is equipped with an indoor swimming pool, a billiard room, and an artificial lake. Viktor Medvedchuk, a Ukrainian tycoon with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is having a terrible, horrible no good, very bad week. On Tuesday, the pro-Russia politician was captured by Ukrainian forces after escaping house arrest on treason charges earlier this year. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared a photo of a haggard-looking, handcuffed Medvedchuk on Telegram as proof of his arrest. Then, on Thursday, Ukrainian authorities said they seized a trove of assets belonging to Medvedchuk, including 23 houses, 32 apartments, 30 plots of land, 26 cars, and one yacht.Over the last three decades, Medvedchuk has utilized his close relationship with Putin — who is godfather to Medvedchuk's youngest daughter — to install himself as one of Ukraine's most powerful backroom politicians, as well as one of its richest, with an estimated worth of $620 million, according to Forbes.Medvedchuk was even thought to be Russia's top choice as a replacement for Zelenskyy as the Kremlin's puppet leader in Ukraine if Kyiv had fallen after the invasion.The Kremlin on Wednesday shot down Ukraine's offer to swap Medvedchuk for Ukrainian prisoners, seemingly cutting ties with the captured tycoon. Photos from yonder days, however, highlight the luxurious life Medvedchuk previously lived.Read the original article on Business Insider

Ukraine's first lady told CNN her relationship with her husband, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was "on pause" as they're forbidden to see each other for long periods during the war.

In an interview aired Tuesday, Olena Zelenska told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that she is not allowed to see Zelenskyy very often and when she does, it's only for a short period of time.

"But at least I can physically feel him next to me," Zelenska told CNN.

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"This isn't normal. It's not a normal relationship when children cannot see their father and have to talk to him on the phone. So our relationship is on pause just as it is for all Ukrainians," she said.

"We ... are waiting to be reunited, to be together again, to spend evenings together, to talk to the children about their things."

Both Zelenskyy and his wife have refused to leave Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24.

In the first two months of the war, the family was not able to see each other at all. Zelenskyy lived in his office with his staff while Zelenska and their two children, aged 17 and 9, were kept in a secret location.

In her CNN interview, Zelenska also said the ongoing war, which has moved away from Kyiv and intensified in the eastern Donbas region, had taken a large toll on the country and that she currently "cannot see the end of our suffering."

"It's very difficult to hold on for five months," Zelenska said. "We need to accumulate our strength, we need to save our energy."

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