Ukraine’s president coos over a puppy, starting a new volley in his war of visuals against Russia

Ukraine’s president coos over a puppy, starting a new volley in his war of visuals against Russia 0 seconds of 40 secondsVolume 0% Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts Keyboard ShortcutsEnabledDisabled Shortcuts Open/Close/ or ? Play/PauseSPACE Increase Volume↑ Decrease Volume↓ Seek Forward→ Seek Backward← Captions On/Offc Fullscreen/Exit Fullscreenf Mute/Unmutem Decrease Caption Size- Increase Caption Size+ or = Seek %0-9 Next Up Nordic and Baltic leaders join Zelenskyy in Kyiv for Ukrainian flag ceremony 01:22 00:00 00:40 00:40 More Videos 01:22 Nordic and Baltic leaders join Zelenskyy in Kyiv for Ukrainian flag ceremony 00:37 Zelenskyy holds bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Burnham in Kyiv 01:33 Nordic and Baltic leaders pledge continued support for Ukraine during Kyiv visit 00:54 Putin blames Kyiv for 'opening Pandora's box' 00:32 European leaders arrive in Kyiv to mark Ukraine's Independence Day 00:29 Ukraine receives 10 soldiers in the latest prisoner exchange with Russia 00:36 Death toll rises to 16 after Russian attack on shopping center in Ukraine 01:29 Dolly Parton's family announcement after star dies aged 80 Close 1 of 4 | Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met on Tuesday with former US professional boxer Terence Crawford in Kyiv. After their meeting, Crawford gifted Zelenskyy a female American pit bull terrier puppy named Freya, after the Ukrainian anti-ballistic missile defense project. 2 of 4 | In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy holds a special gift from American boxer Terence Crawford - an American Pit Bull Terrier puppy named Freya, linked to the Ukrainian air defense system FREYJA, which is currently in development, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) 3 of 4 | In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, holds a puppy of American pit bull terrier named Freya, given to him by former American boxer Terence Crawford after their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) 4 of 4 | In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, shakes hands with boxer Terence Crawford in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP) By Laurie Kellman and Volodymyr Yurchuk Updated 8:24 PM MESZ, August 26, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) — Wait. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine’s war chief, holding a puppy? Yes, and it’s no accident. In a collision of dog lovers, sports and ongoing war with Russia, the Ukrainian president on Tuesday was captured on video as never before — cuddling and cooing over a floppy, three-month-old American pit bull terrier, handed to him by U.S. former boxer Terence Crawford. The cute and fluffy scene in Zelenskyy’s office in Kyiv was the latest volley in a deadly serious battle of visuals that runs in parallel to Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s brutal four-year invasion. Crawford, a longtime supporter of Ukraine and a devotee of the American pit bull terrier, came forward and handed a reddish-yellow puppy to Zelenskyy. And for a few minutes in Kyiv, cultures, death and geopolitics yielded to the power of sweetness and puppy love, as well as the symbolism of resilience and protection. A happy, floppy puppy belies a more serious backdrop It’s a truism of the political world: If you want a friend, get a dog. Zelenskyy, weighed down by war and scandal, seemed to have found both in the light-eyed puppy that melted into his chest. The president smiled and cooed something into the dog’s fur. He cradled her as he was told the pup’s name is Freya — after Zelenskyy’s pet project, Freyja, Ukraine’s proposed missile defense system with European allies. Zelenskyy visits Moscow-friendly Serbia as Russian attacks on Kyiv region kill 4 2 MIN READ 16 Why Russia’s ballistic missiles are increasingly getting through Ukrainian defenses 3 MIN READ 51 Russian drones kill a woman and 9-year-old son at home as Ukrainian civilian casualties surge 3 MIN READ 51 He was further informed that Freya’s grandfather survived the devastating Russian siege of Bucha in 2022. Zelenskyy cuddled the pup close as they posed for photos. She appeared to relax, letting two white-tipped paws dangle from Zelenskyy’s arms. “The president said he would accept” Freya, said Vadym Danylchenko, adviser to the minister of youth and sports in Ukraine, who helped organize the visit. Politically and culturally, it might have been problematic to refuse. Animals have become a symbol of the nation’s forbearance during the four-year war. One mural in a Kyiv park immortalizes a Jack Russell terrier named Patrone who is renowned for assisting mine-clearing teams in the northern Chernihiv district and became a mascot for Ukraine’s emergency services. Zelenskyy awarded him a state medal. UNICEF recognized the pup as the first “Goodwill AmbassaDOG.” Another mural depicts volunteer fighter Oleksii Movchan, holding a grey-and-white cat. He and three fellow soldiers rescued 11 civilians and the cat in the eastern Donetsk region shortly before being killed by Russian shelling in 2022. Stories abound of others going to great lengths to rescue Ukraine’s animals during the Russian invasion, including one Ukrainian woman who worked to save hundreds from the war by shipping some to safer Western Ukraine and others overseas. Then there’s the fraught matter of American support for Ukraine. Zelenskyy was famously dressed down by President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance last year in the Oval Office, though the leaders have appeared to have mended fences since then. But in Zelenskyy’s office on Tuesday, an American sports hero was handing him an American dog breed. Zelenskyy embraced the love. Freya is the granddaughter of Athos — a dog who survived the Russian brutality in Bucha and was found on the street where Ukrainian forces destroyed a large Russian convoy, Danylchenko told The Associated Press in an interview. Through rescuers, Athos made his way to Crawford’s friend Francisco Lopez, a professional breeder and longtime Ukraine supporter in America. Athos’ daughter had been left behind in Ukraine. Lopez flew an unrelated male dog to Ukraine to mate with Athos’ daughter. She gave birth to Freya. The puppy’s name has a particular resonance in Ukraine. European nations are developing the antiballistic missile defense system with Ukraine amid shortages, particularly of American-made Patriot interceptors. Patriot interceptors are in shorter supply as the U.S. and Israeli war against Iran continues to rage, and Trump last month appeared to back away from a recent commitment to give Ukraine a license to produce them. “Terence really wanted to give the president this particular female puppy,” said Danylchenko, who said he wasn’t initially supportive of giving the president a gift laden with such responsibility. “They named her Freya. Obviously, from the perspective of our country’s future, this was important,” he added. “This little girl is a symbol of the fact that her grandfather survived and was a direct witness to the events in Bucha. So it was very symbolic for them.” Laurie Kellman Kellman has covered U.S. politics and foreign affairs for the Associated Press, including 23 years reporting from Washington and three from Jerusalem. 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