Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska says her country will fight on despite the cold and the blackouts caused by Russian missiles. The Ukrainian people have won plaudits for standing their ground against Russia's blistering assault. But this is yet another painful test of fortitude, as buildings are going dark and cold in the midst of blackouts.
"Blackouts are not the worst thing to happen to us". She cites a recent poll where 90% of Ukrainians said they were ready to live with electricity shortages for two to three years if they could see the prospect of joining the European Union said Olena Zelenska.
"Sometimes it can be very difficult, but there are some new emotions that help us to hold on," she says. Her wide-ranging interview takes place in the iconic House of Chimaeras, adorned with elephant-head gargoyles and sculptures of mythical creatures, facing 10 Bankova Street - Ukraine's version of 10 Downing Street. The building formed the backdrop for President Zelensky's famous 26 February speech to rally Ukrainians, filmed on his phone two days after Russian tanks rolled across the border. "I'm here. We won't lay down our arms," he declared.
Ukrainian President Zelensky announced in a selfie video that Russia had "designated me as target number one" and his family "target number two". She won't give an exact date for when they last had dinner together, but says it's very rare nowadays.
I live separately with my children and my husband lives at work. Most of all, we miss simple things - to sit, not looking at the time, as long as we want, she says.
Olena Zelenska was the first foreign first lady granted the privilege of addressing the US legislature. She spent months in hiding in secret locations with her children after Russia invaded Ukraine. Now she keeps popping up in speeches on zoom, at times in person. With her shy smile gives way to strongly worded speeches.
When Michelle Obama became first lady, she made headlines around the world for asking the US Congress to send lethal weapons to Ukraine. "I was scared," she says. But I understood this mission. It was impossible to miss this chance. She asks for weapons, not to attack, but to prevent children from being killed in their homes.
Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska's foundation has become a powerful global network which has helped evacuate Ukrainian children needing cancer treatment and provide opportunities for education. It has arranged access to Ukrainian books in countries that have welcomed millions of women and children forced to flee - without their husbands, who are barred from leaving in a time of war.
She says the war in her country is "not just a war in Ukraine, it is a war of world views". She tells how women are taking up new roles everywhere, from fighting on the front lines to taking charge as single parents. Check any UN document about Ukrainian society pre-war and it uses language like "patriarchal", and "traditional", with women's roles limited by gender. Her prominent role makes her the most visible face of a shattered society.