Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska meets with President of South Korea
“President Yoon Suk Yeol met with Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska at the presidential office Tuesday, his office said. Zelenska is in Seoul as a special envoy of her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky,” Yonhap news agency reports.
No other details of the visit have yet been provided.
In an interview with Yonhap, Zelenska expressed an intention to invite President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee to Ukraine, saying that “such a visit would be very supportive to Ukrainians.”
"Ukraine is always waiting for its friends," she said when asked if Kyiv has a plan to invite Yoon and the first lady.
"Such a visit would be very supportive to Ukrainians because it is a way to share our confrontation with us, at least for a day of our lives," Ukraine's First Lady added.
Zelenska also expressed her gratitude for South Korea's continued support to Ukraine.
"For Ukrainians, South Korea and its history are a model of resilience and development. So thank you for setting a good example and inspiring us," she said.
Earlier, Seoul insisted that its legislation prohibits arms supplies to the countries at war. But in a media interview last month, Yoon signaled a potential policy shift, saying it might be difficult to insist only on humanitarian or financial aid if Ukraine comes under a large-scale attack on civilians.
Zelenska called the move "a wise decision by the president."
"Indeed, when there is a criminal in the house, the owners clearly need not only humanitarian aid, food and medicine, but something more radical to drive the criminal out. We say to everyone -- give us a resource and we will drive the criminal out of our home," she said
The First Lady highlighted the importance of the international community's undiminished attention to Ukraine, as the country has been grappling with woeful incidences of violence, particularly against children, the "most defenseless" in the throes of the war.
"I think the world should be more afraid of losing this interest than we are, because if the aggressor wins, the whole world loses," she said. "I do not advise anyone to lose this interest because it is an interest in your own life and the future of the whole world," Zelenska noted.
On the idea of reaching a ceasefire with Russia, Zelenska said Ukraine will only be satisfied with the "peace that will result from our victory, not an abstract armistice."
"It is impossible to shake hands with the hand that has just killed your relatives and neighbors. You cannot sit down at the negotiating table with a murderer who has no regrets," Zelenska pointed out.
She then highlighted the need for accountability.
"We know from history what happens when the aggressor is not punished ... Everyone should be interested in stopping him ... It is the same as stopping street crime before it reaches your street," Ukraine's First Lady said.
