How Ukraine’s first lady struck a hammer blow against Putin via the UK

Sitting with Olena Zelenska in the fortified presidential complex in Kyiv, her understated delivery belied a strong defiance of Russia’s invasion. Britain’s sanctions against Moscow’s war machine were quickly expanded in the wake of our interview

Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska has repeatedly said that one of the most unexpected outcomes for Moscow after invading Ukraine is that “soft power fought back”.

I hadn’t quite appreciated what she meant until I interviewed her from the heart of Kyiv. There I learned first-hand how soft diplomacy can have an instant impact on the world stage.

Sitting in the bunker-like command centre in Kyiv, Mrs Zelenska was clear that one of the keys to ending this war was ending sanctions dodging by countries trading with Moscow through third nations.

Without cutting this funding to the Kremlin’s war machine, the invasion will drag on endlessly – undermining the money and weapons being poured into Ukraine's military by Western allies. And, ultimately, meaning Moscow might win.

Watch the full interview here

With her characteristic understated delivery, she painted a bleak outcome.

“That will mean that anyone with power, strength and sufficient financial capacity can do whatever they want in this world.”

“This will mean that global deterrents aren't working. It will be the worst-case scenario for all of humanity."

The effect was immediate. While countries across the world have imposed a number of sanctions on Russia since Vladimir Putin's invasion began, a spokesman for the foreign secretary told The Independent that the government “echoes the frustrations the first lady has expressed”, adding that it was working quickly to block the loopholes.

Less than 24 hours later, the Foreign Office announced its largest-ever crackdown on third countries aiding Russia.

This is part of a push by Mrs Zelenska to increase the soft power she can wield, by adapting her own role as first lady and the role of first partners all over the globe. She talked me through a summit of first ladies and first gentlemen she is holding in September in Kyiv – hoping to create a collective of first partners that come together to create change in the world.

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“We can no longer perform only a decorative role. We cannot just stand nicely next to the head of state,” she said of her fellow spouses. “We can try harder and do much more. And I saw the response it has in our community.”

Ukraine hopes Britain is providing the template for the world to follow suit with tougher measures to crack down on sanctions dodgers.

Mrs Zelenska was clear about the consequences of inaction.

Outnumbered and outgunned Ukraine surprised everyone by not just clinging on when Russia launched its full-scale invasion last February, but repeatedly pushing back the full might of Russia’s army. They swept back swathes of territory in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Kherson oblasts – and now terrain in the east and south too thanks to Kyiv's latest counteroffensive.

Olena Zelenska inside the presidential complex in Kyiv (Anton Kulakowskiy)

But 18 months into the war, such lightning gains may be a thing of the past as we grind towards deadlock. Russia has dug in deep with entrenched defences in areas like Zaporizhzhia in the south and Donbas in the east. These are now the bloodiest battlefields.

Ukrainian brigades and their spotters have repeatedly told me Russia has built a deadly network of trenches and minefields along the frontlines, with artillery behind. This makes it extremely deadly to do reconnaissance let alone a push forward.

They fear is that if Russia is able to navigate sanctions to bolster its military, it may end up with a bottomless supply of weaponry and ammunition. Moscow does not shrink from throwing its soldiers at the problem, and it has time on its side.

Back in Kyiv, Mrs Zelensksa was blunt about what this means.

“Ukrainians are paying for this war with the lives of their compatriots. The rest of the world pays with its resources,” she said, adding that these are “incomparable”.

“Once again I am talking about the fact that these resources risk being used endlessly until the aggressor is stopped.”

Olena Zelenska has a clear message for the world about the need to support Ukraine (Anton Kulakowskiy)

Mrs Zelenska was firm about what that cost would be for Ukraine and the world.

For Ukraine, it does not just mean the loss of soldiers on the battlefield, it means a nation that is struggling with a new generation of amputees. This is now one of the most prevalent wounds of this war – in a country that is fast becoming the most heavily mined nation in the world.

Mrs Zelenska also opened up about the psychological cost of the invasion. It is feeding a burgeoning mental health crisis, as civilians and soldiers struggle to deal with the levels of violence. That includes surviving torture, rape being used as a weapon of war and the relentless country-wide bombardment.

She spoke about trying to find and retrieve tens of thousands of missing children taken to Russia where rights groups have documented illegal adoption and “russification” programmes. They argue it is part of a broader and coordinated Russian effort to effectively annihilate the Ukrainian identity of the young generation.

She also talked about her work to try to rebuild obliterated parts of Ukraine, which the UN estimates will cost a staggering $411 billion (£323bn) to fully reconstruct. This amount will only increase as this bloody war drags on.

So, for Mrs Zelenska, the fact that some countries continue to conduct trade with Russia through third countries "is simply and critically wrong”.

“We all need to increase the pressure on the aggressor countries in order to make it impossible for them to continue waging war,” she said to me with grim assurance. Without such help, this war “can go on for a long, endless time” as "Russia is too powerful, too big an enemy.”

That is Olena Zelenska’s urgent message to Western allies and the world.

The full interview is now available to watch on independent.tv and your smart TV

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