'War & Pose.' 'Vogue' mag puts Ukraine Prez Zelensky, wife Olena on the cover, gets slammed for romanticising conflict

As Ukraine continues to fight Russia's invasion into its land, the country's president, Volodymyr Zelensky along with his wife and the First Lady, Olena Zelenska appeared on the digital cover of Vogue magazine.

While the couple spoke about their nearly two decades of marriage, shared history, their time apart from children who have to be separated due to the ongoing war and Ukraine's future, they found themselves under fire for their recent Vogue photoshoot. Russia's invasion which began in February, has created a wreck in Ukraine with thousands of dead and several more fleeing their homes in search for safety.

So when people saw a picture of Zelenska, dressed in black gown and coat, posing in front of wreckage caused by the war, as soldiers guard her, several people thrashed the Ukraine President and the First Lady.


"During a war, you either shoot your opponent or get shot... '' by Vogue. (PS: No Hair and Make-up dada were harmed in the making of this cover)," one person wrote on Twitter alongside a screengrab of a picture from the couple's photoshoot for Vogue.


Vogue shared pictures of the First Lady of Ukraine, calling it 'portrait of bravery'. In another picture, Zelenska, dressed casually in white top and black pants, is sitting inside the presidential office.

"In Ukraine, tens of thousands of women have been on the front lines, including in combat, and First Lady Olena Zelenska’s role has increasingly turned toward frontline diplomacy," Vogue wrote, adding that Zelenska recently travelled to Washington on an unofficial, unannounced visit to meet President Biden, first lady Dr. Jill Biden and other officials where she made an appeal for her war-torn country.

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"I’m asking for something I would never want to ask for: I am asking for weapons—weapons that would not be used to wage a war on somebody else’s land but to protect one’s home and the right to wake up alive in that home,” Zelenska told them.

However, people weren't happy with Vogue "romanticising war".

"Romanticising war isn’t it, Vogue," the top comment on the post read.

"Something about them posing in the war zone doesn’t sit right with me ..." another person wrote.

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People called the coverage and photoshoot "poor taste".

One user also slammed Vogue for using war scenes as background for editorial.

"Using war scenes as background for vogue editorial ..." the person commented along with a sad emoticon.