Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife met Brigitte Macron several times. The two women engaged in a correspondence from the first days of the war in Ukraine.
It is probably a relationship that is important in the way in which diplomatic discussions are intertwined between France and Ukraine, and which remains in the shadows and informality: between Brigitte Macron and Olena Zelenska, the two first ladies, have grown closer in recent months. As reported by Le Monde, which has been able to consult the “sustained” correspondence between the two women since March, the extensive exchanges sent throughout the war are in no way superficial. “In these dark hours, I am thinking of you”, first wrote, on March 2, Brigitte Macron, who joined the actions to the word: the first lady raised 1 million euros via the Hospital Foundation which chair, and donated this sum to humanitarian organizations for Ukraine. Olena Zelenska greeted in a letter his “big heart” and thanked him for having accelerated the reception of sick Ukrainian children, affected by cancer, in French care establishments.
The two first ladies met for the first time before the war, in 2019, just after the election of her husband Volodymyr Zelensky. “I remember her reception, on the steps of the Elysée, with great gratitude, because, as a novice in the role of wife of president, I was very worried. […] She supported me a lot, she gave me confidence, and while this war is now affecting my country, I can say that our friendship has only grown stronger,” she said on December 12 on the set. of BFMTV. “We have carried out joint projects, nearly 30,000 children in France are treated in France. […] Madame Macron not only reached out, but also did a lot for our children. She was on one of the planes that took the children, to support the mothers. It was a real gesture of humanity,” she added.
In September 2022, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the two women appeared very close, holding hands for a long time, while the countries of Western Europe were trying to get several people to vote. resolutions to condemn the Russian offensive and isolate Vladimir Putin. The Elysée and the Ukrainian diplomacy then speak with one voice of the “special friendship” which binds the two women.
On December 13, Olena Zelenska participated in the international support conference, organized to help Ukrainians face winter, alongside Emmanuel Macron. The Ukrainian president must intervene by video during this multilateral meeting, which will be held at the Quai d’Orsay, and which aims to coordinate emergency aid from States and international organizations. The same day, she visited a Parisian school where Ukrainian children are educated, accompanied by Brigitte Macron and the Minister of National Education, Pap Ndiaye. Olena Zelenska was also invited to present her foundation, salle Pleyel, in front of elected officials and important business leaders, to collect donations necessary for the reconstruction of the central hospital of Izioum.