Ukraine wants peace, but will defend its borders, identity: First lady

ANKARA

Ukraine wants peace but will defend its borders and identity, the country’s first lady said Tuesday in an open letter to international media.

“And with this letter, I testify and tell the world: the war in Ukraine is not a war ‘somewhere out there.’ This is a war in Europe, close to the EU borders,” Olena Zelenska said in the letter published on her Facebook page.

The letter was in response to media outlets asking for an interview.

“Ukraine is stopping the force that may aggressively enter your cities tomorrow under the pretext of saving civilians,” said Zelenska, adding that this would seem like an exaggeration to Ukrainians and to her last week “but it is the reality we're living in today.”

“And we do not know how long it will last. If we don't stop (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, who threatens to start a nuclear war, there will be no safe place in the world for any of us,” she said.

She said Ukrainian women and children are living in basements and bomb shelters and “families cannot get out of the bomb shelters for several days in a row because of the indiscriminate and deliberate bombing and shelling of civilian infrastructure,” in some cities.

Zelenska said the war is not only affecting civilians by the shelling of bombs but there are patients who need special care like insulin injections, asthma medication and chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer.

“Many people, including the elderly, severely ill and those with disabilities, have been debilitatingly cut off, ending up far from their families and without any support. War against these innocent people is a double crime,” she said.

The first lady said Ukrainian women and children became refugees and men returned to the war after leaving loved ones at the borders.

Zelenska thanked neighboring countries for hosting women and children in their time of need. She also thanked the international community for showing solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

“In cities where shelling persists, where people find themselves under debris, unable to get out of basements for days, we need safe corridors for humanitarian aid and evacuation of civilians to safety. We need those in power to close our sky,” said Zelenska, adding that Ukraine “will manage the war on the ground ourselves.”

She urged media outlets to “keep showing what is happening here and keep showing the truth.”

Russia's war on Ukraine, which began Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.

At least 474 civilians have been killed and 861 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while noting that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.

Some 2 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN refugee agency.