Ukraine's First Lady hits out at wives of Putin's troops

Ukraine’s First Lady meets Rishi Sunak’s wife at Downing Street after hitting out at the horrors of Putin’s invasion and ‘animalistic’ sexual violence targeting women

• Olena Zelenska met Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty at 10 Downing Street today
• The pair greeted each other warmly and decorated Downing St. Christmas tree
• Zelenska was in London for a conference on preventing sexual violence in war

Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska met Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty today during a trip to London to speak at a conference on sexual violence in war.

Zelenska was warmly greeted by Murty outside 10 Downing St. and the pair posed for pictures before hanging decorations in the Ukrainian colours on the Downing St. Christmas tree.

Speaking at the ‘Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative’ conference in the British capital earlier today, Zelenska said Kyiv prosecutors were investigating more than 100 possible crimes by Russian soldiers, but added these investigations were ‘just a small’ fraction of the true number of such crimes being committed in Ukraine.

She went on to demand a ‘global response’ to the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and slammed the wives of Putin’s troops for encouraging their husbands to ‘rape Ukrainian women’.  

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska and Akshata Murty, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife walk outside Downing Street in London, Britain, November 28, 2022

Zelenska spoke at the ‘Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative’ conference in London today (Zelenska is pictured decorating a Christmas tree outside Downing St)

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska and Akshata Murty, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife stand next to a Christmas tree outside Downing Street in London, Britain, November 28, 2022

‘The opportunities for the occupiers widened to humiliating Ukrainians and unfortunately, sexual violence and sexual crimes are within their arsenal,’ she said.

‘We see that the Russian servicemen are very open about this: they talk about it over the phone with their relatives, from phone conversations we’ve managed to capture. The wives of Russian servicemen encourage this – they say, ”Go on, rape those Ukrainian women, just don’t share this with me, just don’t tell me”,’ Zelenska added.

‘Sexual violence is the most cruel, most animalistic way to prove mastership over someone.’

But victims were afraid of speaking out over the stigma and fears that those responsible may return and do it again, Zelenska warned.

‘That is why it’s extremely important to recognise this as a war crime and to bring all the perpetrators to account,’ she said.

‘There has to be a global response to this. Unfortunately, such war crimes will keep on going in the world as long as the servicemen think that they can go without any punishment.’

The Ukrainian government has launched a support programme to help victims of the war, which Zelenska said she hoped could be a ‘first step towards an investigation and prosecution’.

Ukraine was looking to set up similar initiatives outside the country, such as in Germany and the Czech Republic, she added.

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska is greeted by Akshata Murty, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife outside Downing Street in London, Britain, November 28, 2022

Rishi Sunak’s wife Akshata Murty says farewell to First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska (left) outside 10 Downing Street, during her visit to the UK. Picture date: Monday November 28, 2022

Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska and Akshata Murty, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s wife stand next to a Christmas tree outside Downing Street in London, Britain, November 28, 2022

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly last week announced new aid for Ukraine on a visit to Kyiv, including support for victims of sexual violence by Russian soldiers.

The ‘Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative conference brings together representatives of about 70 countries to tackle the scourge of sexual violence in conflict.

It has heard from Nobel Peace Prize laureates Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege, who won a joint award in 2018 for their work against the issue, as well as survivors.

Britain launched a year-long campaign to highlight the issue as part of its presidency of the G8 group of industrialised nations in 2012, which then included Russia, backed by Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie.

She said in a message to the latest meeting that there ‘has to be a decisive global response’ to such assaults.

‘When there isn’t, it sends a message to both the victim and the perpetrator that we don’t truly regard this as a significant crime that needs to be punished and prevented,’ she added.

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