Sirje Karis hosts Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska

10.06.2026 | 13:50

Sirje Karis, the spouse of President Alar Karis, hosted her Ukrainian counterpart Olena Zelenska, who was on a one-day visit to Estonia. Together they took part in the signing of memoranda of cooperation between Estonian universities and the Global Coalition of Ukrainian Studies at Tallinn University before visiting the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) and the Estonian History Museum in Maarjamäe.

During the meeting with ESTDEV, Sirje Karis thanked both ESTDEV and the Olena Zelenska Foundation for their commitment and partnership in supporting Ukraine, which she said enables real assistance to be provided to the people whose lives have been most severely affected by Russia’s war of aggression.

“The people of Ukraine have shown extraordinary strength, dignity and resilience in the most trying circumstances,” she remarked. “Estonia’s support for Ukraine remains unwavering, as does our solidarity with the country. I would like to thank all those who have given Ukraine their backing and are helping to rebuild the country, because it is precisely through joint efforts that we can help it to endure and to prepare for a more peaceful future. If we assist Ukrainian children today, it is an investment in the future of Ukraine and Europe as a whole.”

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