Ms Petsa revealed that she and her children now resided in Warsaw, Poland, while her husband served as a soldier in Ukraine.
U.S. President Donald Trump had a poignant moment during Wednesday’s NATO press conference in The Hague when he spoke with BBC Ukraine correspondent Myroslava Petsa, whose husband is currently serving in the Ukrainian military.
Ms. Petsa asked whether the United States would provide Patriot missile systems to Ukraine amid escalating Russian attacks. She also shared that she and her children now live in Warsaw, Poland, while her husband remains on the front lines in Ukraine — nearly three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion.
“Where are you from?” President Trump asked after her question.
“I’m from Ukraine,” Petsa replied. She then asked if the U.S. was prepared to sell anti-air missile systems to help defend her country, noting, “Russia has been pounding Ukraine really heavily right now.”
“Are you living in Ukraine yourself?” Trump asked.
“My husband is there,” she responded. “And me, with the kids, I’m in Warsaw, actually.”
Visibly moved, Trump responded, “Wow. I can see you’re… you know, it’s amazing.”
When he asked, “Is your husband a soldier?” Petsa confirmed, “He is.”
“He’s there now?” Trump asked again, to which she nodded.
“That’s rough stuff. That’s tough,” Trump said sympathetically.
He went on to say that Ukraine had expressed interest in purchasing ammunition and missile systems from the U.S., and he would “see if we can make some available.”
Before moving on to the next question, Trump offered his support: “I wish you a lot of luck. I can see this is very upsetting to you. Say hello to your husband.”
Earlier in the day, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reaffirmed NATO’s role in deterring future aggression. According to Fox News, he cited increased defense spending across NATO as a key factor in discouraging Russian expansionism.
During the summit, member nations agreed to raise their annual defense spending targets to 5% of GDP by 2035, a move intended to bolster the alliance’s long-term security and response capabilities.
