Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed how nearly four years of full-scale war have profoundly changed his understanding of family, closeness, and time spent with loved ones. Despite staying in touch with his wife and children, he admits that the war has deprived him of the opportunity to be fully present in their lives.
The Ukrainian leader spoke about his personal experiences in an interview with the British podcast The Diary of a CEO, responding to questions about how the war has changed him as a person, husband, and father.
According to Zelensky, the war has forced him to reassess his priorities. Things that once seemed important have become secondary, while his greatest wish is now to end the war and return to some sense of normal life.
“You realize that you want to be with your kids, with your wife. Generally, you just want to end the war and get a little bit of a life,” the president said.
Zelensky spoke particularly emotionally about the loneliness he experiences during the war. He explained that even constant work and being surrounded by people cannot replace the warmth of family.
“In a war, you fight, and you’re lonely, you know. In life before this war, you’re definitely not lonely because you have friends, company, business, then maybe politics, but you’re not lonely,” he said.
“But when you hug your family, it’s just like that. Well, it means… well, it means there are people who love you. That matters.”
When the interviewer asked whether he missed his family, Zelensky answered without hesitation.
“Very much. Very much,” he said.
“Years have passed, you know. I really miss them constantly. And it feels like that even when they’re right next to me. It’s just this habit. This habit of doing work and focusing exclusively on work. Even when they’re near, I miss them sometimes.”
The president also spoke about his relationship with his wife, Olena Zelenska. He emphasized that they continue to support each other through the challenges of war, maintaining what he considers the foundations of a strong marriage: love, respect, and genuine connection.
“Well, we support each other. That’s true. I think that I have a very smart wife, and she is so real. We have real feelings. We have love and respect. I think that’s very important, to respect each other,” Zelensky said.
He believes that a lasting relationship requires more than love alone. Partners must also remain genuinely interested in each other.
“People should find each other interesting. I think that’s the most important thing. People need to find each other interesting. Yeah, and we find each other very interesting. We feel good. We feel very good.”
Speaking about his children, Zelensky acknowledged how much they have grown during the war. He described his daughter as a young woman and said they have developed a close friendship.
At the same time, he expressed sadness that an entire generation of Ukrainian children has been forced to grow up under the shadow of war.
“Yes, and all the children of Ukraine, and it’s true, I’ve said this, the children of Ukraine grew up during the war. Totally true. They are all so grown up, and it’s so sad that childhood passed during a war,” the president said.
Despite his demanding schedule, Zelensky tries to maintain regular contact with his children through phone calls and online conversations whenever possible.
The Ukrainian leader also shared a personal story about his mother, who calls him every single day.
Sometimes, he said, he discovers as many as 12 missed calls from her. Even when he is busy working, she continues calling until he eventually answers.
“She’ll call you all day long until I pick up. So we make sure to speak once a day,” Zelensky explained.
His mother regularly asks about his health, his children, and when the war will finally end.
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“How are you? How are you feeling? How are the kids? Tell me, right? When is Putin going to end the war?” he recalled her asking.
“And I say, Mom, we’re doing everything we can.”
Reflecting on the personal cost of the war, Zelensky said it had fundamentally changed his understanding of time, relationships, and what truly matters in life.
He acknowledged that professional ambitions and responsibilities can consume people’s lives, leaving little room for those closest to them. But the war has made him realize how precious and irreplaceable that time really is.
“Business is secondary. Everything is secondary. These people right here, that’s what matters most. Now, that you can’t get back. These years slip away, and in these intense moments, you remember these people. It’s important,” Zelensky concluded.
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