Statement made by Ukrainian First Lady

[Fallonangel]

The Ukrainian First Lady has made a statement addressing the UK telling us while we are counting our pennies they are also counting their casualties.
Aibu to feel selfish moaning about my lifestyle reductions?

This thread shows me modern Brits are just so self centered (especially the Mumsnet ones). I have friends in the Ukraine and this is a small price to pay to face down russian aggression compared to what they have to do. People are angry because she speaks the truth and the truth is uncomfortable for some.

Olena Zelenska did NOT target the UK.

She was being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg for the BBC, who directed the conversation to the situation in the UK specifically (as the interview was made to be broadcast to a UK audience) and asked her what she would say to people in the UK who sympathise with Ukraine but also feel the squeeze at home to the extent that they are desperately scared for their families. She would say the same thing when talking to the press from ANY allied country when asked a similar question. Here's a recent interview with Italy's Corriere della Sera, just for example.

Zelenska says that global trends will impact all of us no matter what country we're in (she uses COVID as another example). Her argument is that international support of Ukraine will help push back Russian aggression: "if the (international) support is strong, this period will be short."

I can't say that she's right, because I can't see the future. But I believe and hope that she is right. But whether or not she is, what people have known in central and eastern Europe for a long time (Poland, for example, has formally treated Ukraine as the victim of an aggressive international war ever since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014) has become way too obvious to ignore in Western Europe: we can combat Putin now in Ukraine, when we can still sort of formulate that as a "choice", or we deal with it when he attacks a NATO country and we're all formally obligated.

Of COURSE anyone in the UK shouldn't feel guilty ranting a bit about current circumstances and how they impact you, your family, and your community; everyone needs to let off steam. You shouldn't feel guilty about asking the UK government to take care of its people. You shouldn't feel guilty about using resources that are available to you or about taking joy in the moment or in daily life. But Zelenska isn't asking anyone to feel guilty. What she is saying is that IF you think it's wrong for Russia to invade other countries and commit atrocities and war crimes, then it's wrong even if standing up to it hurts. It's not an "either or", it's a "both and".

The First Lady and President posed for Vogue whilst her people were starving, dying, fighting and being raped. What's your point, @AbsentinSpring? The more attention the situation in Ukraine gets internationally, the more support is mustered internationally. I'm absolutely sure Zelenskyy has more important things to do than pose for Vogue, but if that's what helps Ukraine then he does it.

Well, it's complicated isn't it.
Ukraine had agreed not to apply to the UN if Russia let them be.
That all seemed to working than he decided he would like to join the UN and the war began. Many Ukrainians see themselves as part of Russia. Eastern Europe is very, very complicated.
I think he is enjoying strutting about in his green tee shirts-all perfectly pressed-presenting himself as David against Goliath or some sort of cut price Che Guvara but never near the actual theatre of war.
It's their country-they want to go to war that's great.
Other countries want to support them, great too.
What's not great is to have his wife-with whom he posed in Vogue while war goes on-pout away on a gold chair telling us tough shit about Europe's and the UK's rising bills.

She is out of order and no matter how many people want to apologise for her-some even suggesting that our PM made her say it, that remains a fact.
At the end of this, she will still be a multi millionaire and I will be fucking broke. i think that's worth a thank you not a so fucking what from her.

I can’t understand the vitriol against her here.

Imagine the constant threat her family and country are living under.

I think I’d struggle to have sympathy for other countries too if I were her.

And as if she’d turn down Vogue, and miss the chance to get her message out to another wide audience. I’d bloody do Vogue too if I thought Putin had his personal crosshairs on my kids.

Eastern Europe is very, very complicated.

Gosh is it? Thanks I'd never have known

MissPankhurst - Ukraine signed the UN Charter in 1945.

This thread shows me modern Brits are just so self centered (especially the Mumsnet ones)

Yes so fucking self-centred hoping to keep their children warm and fed.

@FreddyHG
"this is a small price to pay to face down russian aggression compared to what they have to do"

How out of touch can you get

Op what exactly did you want out of this half a story thread? 🙄

Many countries have been invaded and many civilians have suffered in wars before February of this year.

What sacrifices did your Ukrainian friends make to help those people?

This.

OP - what she said is quite different. Stop rabble rousing like a right twat.

Tide on here soon turned when prices started going up.
I know whose situation I'd rather be in

I think we need to look after ourselves . Charity begins at home but this actually isn’t happening …
cost Of living is dire here and why should people feel they cannot express their feelings about this

She doesn’t even compare counting pennies with counting lives lost. She says they do both

’Pennies’ isn’t meant in a dismissive way. It’s idiomatic. 🙄

cost Of living is dire here and why should people feel they cannot express their feelings about this

Of course they can. It’s perfectly acceptable to think the UK should spend less on a war that hasn’t actually landed on our shores yet and to express that view. It’s not ok to misrepresent the words a woman has said.
Putin’s wider beef is with the West, so it wouldn’t make a lot of difference if we turned our backs on Ukraine anyway.

A simple thank you from her would have meant that some posters wouldn't have to perform amazing linguistic acrobatics in order to explain to us numbties what she really meant.

And why do you think she did that? Give it a go

O my words. I have apologised on page 2 of this thread and yet I'm being called a twat etc.
This site is getting more vicious and toxic by the day. I Have Apologised.

It was a stupid fucking question to be honest, 'what do you say to the UK bills rising?' To someone whose country is burning. But at the same time 'pennies' is a bit of an understatement

amazing linguistic acrobatics
It’s not difficult to read the question someone was asked and put their answer in context. Give over.

Shrug. I feel that every person should have full context to make the call. “Ukrainian First Lady makes statement singling out Brits and condescends to them saying Brits count pence and Ukrainians count casualties” is a hell of a lot different to “Ukrainian First Lady gives BBC interview, is asked direct question about Russia affecting energy prices in UK, responds that Ukrainians have had to count their pence the same as Brits in the past, they know it’s tough,, but Russia has made them count casualties as well.” I thought it was simply a statement that they know what it’s like to be choked by Russia too, to have to count their pence because of Russia too, but we can’t forget we’re all here because Russia made this about more than pence. You can spin it however you want - she was trying to make a statement of solidarity or she’s a condescending, rich bitch.

Regardless, Russia is the one at fault; Russia is the one trying to influence our foreign policy by cutting off our energy, and we shouldn’t be blackmailed. Cannot believe all these statements I’m seeing from people about it being “her husband’s war,” etc. Are people that blind about Russian aggression? Are people really so little educated about Putin’s aims? If it was just about bringing back Russians or re-establishing the Soviet Union, why the hell didn’t he attack Kazakhstan? 17% of Ukraine is Russian; 17% of Kazakhstan is Russian. And Kazakhstan is the biggest land piece of the former USSR. But no. Putin wants Ukraine. Because then he can take all the little European former-USSR states from there. All the smaller post-Soviet states in Europe are bricking it; when Ukraine falls, they’ll be réabsorbed by Russia in the name of “cultural” whatever within months. Total fugazi, with our energy bills in the middle.

Not intentional?

Have you name changed OP?

@CheapBeersFilledwithCrocodileTears
You say "when Ukraine falls". Do you really think that's the inevitable conclusion to this?

I genuinely don't understand why people aren't getting annoyed with the amount of profit that Energy companies are making. This to me is the main problem, not Ukraine, Covid etc. it's the fact that energy company appear to be putting profit before lives, yet we all blame Ukraine.

They can.

But quoting someone out of context isn't the way to do it.

We are suffering and will suffer more. Our government is crap and are doing fuck all to help us and it doesn't look like they will.

But that isn't the fault of the Ukrainian First Lady for responding to a question about what she'd say to the Brits for addressing her answer to the Brits.