Olena Zelenska, the first lady of Ukraine, visits UAE amidst Russian War

The first lady of Ukraine visited the United Arab Emirates and expressed her strong support for the people of her country, which is still open to Russia despite Western sanctions.

On International Women's Day, Olena Zelenska addressed an enthusiastic ballroom and referred to her position as well as those of other first ladies and gentlemen in the globe as a genuine power. She also praised the efforts made by regular Ukrainians despite the ongoing conflict.

Olena, speaking via a translator at the Forbes 30/50 Conference, declared, "We are a force and we can continue to alter the world. Olena’s visit to the capital of the United Arab Emirates comes at a time when the UAE is still one of the few direct exits from Moscow for both affluent people who wish to store their money in a country with access to Western financial markets and those escaping conscription.”

The U.S. Treasury has already voiced worries about the Russian capital entering Dubai's booming real estate market. Since the beginning of Moscow's assault on Ukraine last year, the superyachts of Russian oligarchs have been often been spotted in the United Arab Emirates.

Yet the UAE has opposed Russia's incursion at the UN and has sent humanitarian help to Ukraine ever since the conflict started. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and her husband, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have spoken on the phone several times. A prisoner swap that resulted in the release of Russian weapons dealer Viktor Bout and WNBA star Brittney Griner in December was hosted by the UAE.

Olena visited Sheikh Mohammed at Qasr al-Bahar in Abu Dhabi, the nation's capital, after arriving in the UAE. Sheikh Mohammed donated $4 million to Olena’s foundation there, according to the state-run WAM news agency of the United Arab Emirates, which would be used to build orphanages.

Sheikh Mohammed reaffirmed the UAE's dedication to the Ukrainian people through continued humanitarian help, WAM said. He also emphasized the significance of global and regional efforts aimed at finding a political solution to restore security, stability, and peace.

With the start of the war, Olena has assumed a more significant role in promoting Ukraine. When Jill Biden, the wife of the US president, unexpectedly travelled from Slovakia to Ukraine in May, she had a meeting with her. She has also visited several countries, interacted with international leaders, and stated in February at the UN: "We have the right to live free, not to be slaughtered or tortured."

Olena told the audience of a teacher who continued to instruct her students via video conference from a snowy street despite the nation's erratic electricity and internet connections. The ladies gathering at the summit gasped when she mentioned a 30-year-old female combat medic who was slain in the battle near Bakhmut in the east.

We are motivated by the examples, and I have no doubt that we will remember them forever, Olena remarked. "Ukrainian women and men have been adjusting so swiftly that our opponents have not been able to come up with new difficulties for us," she continued, amid applause.

Olena received the Torch of Freedom Award at the conference night from former secretary of state and presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. Hillary lauded Olena for being "a passionate champion for her people" while standing beneath the dome of the Louvre Abu Dhabi.

"The war against my nation — unprovoked, cynical, and ruthless — is the reverse of all human goals," Olena addressed the quiet throng in English with tears in her eyes. It immediately transforms development into repression and life into death. We discovered something new, though, after we forced our terrified eyes to open: "The new power of women."