Elena Zelenskaya accused Russia of putting technology at the service of terror

Ukrainian President’s wife Olena Zelenskaya accused Russia in Lisbon on Tuesday of putting technology “at the service of terror” and turned to the innovation sector for help.

“Russia is putting technology at the service of terror, and what we are seeing this Tuesday is the result of using that technology,” he said at the end of the opening ceremony of the Web Summit technology event, showing footage of the devastation left by the missile in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Zelenskaya, who was only announced as a guest at the web summit Tuesday afternoon due to security concerns, said Russian techs who previously worked in the private sector are now cooperating in the war against Ukraine and have turned to entrepreneurs for help.

“Others can help us fight them [russos] and stop this terror,” he hinted, noting that “technology should be used to save and help people, not to destroy.”

“You are the force that drives the world,” he emphasized, addressing the audience of the main platform of the Web Summit, consisting mainly of businessmen.

The first lady of Ukraine has lamented that the schools of the country, invaded by Russia eight months ago, are channeling money to buy generators instead of investing in high-tech education.

In a second speech during the ceremony that preceded Olena Zelenskaya’s speech, which received applause at the end, Web Summit founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave asked Ireland, his country of origin, to stop “funding the Russian oligarchs.”

The seventh web summit, which runs until Friday, has over 70,000 attendees, 2,630 start-ups and companies, 1,120 investors and 1,040 speakers.

Originating in Ireland in 2010, the tech event began in Lisbon’s Parque das Nações in 2016 and will remain in the Portuguese capital until 2028.