"I am not the best father": Zelenskyy spoke about how the war affected his family
Kyiv • UNN
President Zelenskyy stated in an interview with Sky News that he is not the best father due to the war, as he spends little time with his children. He emphasized that defending Ukraine is his main choice and noted the resilience of Ukrainians during the winter of 2026.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a candid interview with Sky News, spoke about the personal cost of leading the country amid an ongoing conflict. The head of state admitted that due to constant busyness and the burden of responsibilities, he feels guilty towards his own children, as he cannot devote enough attention to them, but emphasized that the defense of Ukraine is currently his main life choice. This is reported by UNN.
Details
Answering a question about his family in a conversation with international correspondent Alex Rossi, Volodymyr Zelenskyy was as frank as possible, stating in English: "During the war, I am not the best father... because I don't have much time for my children."
He explained that he consciously chose the path of serving the country, although this led to painful compromises in raising his children.
My choice is Ukraine. That's why I said I'm not a good father during the war
Zelenskyy also highlighted the extraordinary resilience of Ukrainians during the winter of 2026, which he called the harshest in decades. With temperatures dropping to –30°C, Russia continued massive attacks, launching 420 drones and 39 missiles in just one day.
The President called the energy workers who repaired networks under shelling "phenomenal people" and noted that their heroism allowed the country to avoid a complete blackout in extreme cold conditions.