'Invader Is Like A Rapist': Ukraine's First Lady Explains Why Her Country Won't Lay Down Arms

Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska has lashed out at people who want Ukraine to lay down arms, saying "being a pacifist when a murderer with a gun is walking toward you is the last thing you can think of."

When asked about the stance of "pacifist Italians" who are against giving arms to Ukraine because it would prolong the war, Olena told the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera: "Try to think of their rockets that hit the houses of Bologna every day, from where only dead children come out. How would you feel if your relatives lived in a busy Genoa and you couldn't even talk to them? And now tell me how you would react if at that moment someone said to you: "Drop your weapons, don't resist! Try talking to those who just bombed your parents or undermined your children's school."

Olena also compared the invading Russians to rapists. "You have to understand one important thing: an invader, like a rapist, will never stop if you give in. He will only go further. And, who knows, he might reach others too, one day. I don't want that to happen. By resisting, the Ukrainians stop the invader at their home, but they also do so with Europe in mind," she added.

She also recalled the day the war broke out. Olena said her husband came home on Feb. 24 and told her that she and the children had to go away. Months later, she says her children miss their father. "They are tired. They definitely miss their dad. They rarely see him even if a little more than before, at the beginning. For the rest, they miss the friends who have left, the school. And, like everyone, there is no peace," Olena told the news outlet.

Olena also told about meeting several First Ladies in recent months, including Dr Jill Biden. "Every First Lady has something to be remembered for. But my name will not only be associated with war. Last year, in times of peace, I founded the first summit of first ladies and gentlemen. My goal is to exchange experiences, carry out joint humanitarian projects and improve the world with the help of our soft power," she added.

Adding that it was impossible to explain the war, Olena said before the Russian invasion, she did not understand how it was not to have a home. "I didn't know how sad it could be to see only rubble in its place. I couldn't imagine the pain of taking our children not to a party or for a walk, but to a cellar or subway. For example, do you know what it's like to squint because the sunlight is too strong after you've lived in a bomb shelter for weeks? How is the fright you feel with the sounds of sirens, the roar of fireworks or thunder?" she added.