In October this year, Olena Zelenska will join the ranks of Nancy Reagan, Jackie Kennedy and Michelle Obama as a first lady who has appeared on the front cover of Vogue magazine.

Prior to the press release, two days ago Vogue published its lengthy interview with the Zelenskys alongside a series of photos of the couple looking glamorously and very intentionally dishevelled.

The interview outlined how the architecture graduate is filling the role of first lady (a role which is a little nebulous at the best of times, let alone when your country is under siege) and how the couple’s relationship had transformed since he took office three years ago.

Elements of the interview are no doubt insightful and moving. Zelenska’s jump between being a comedy writer to being number two on Russia’s hitlist is enormous and makes for compelling reading. And like thousands of other young Ukrainians, the Zelensky children have not seen their father since the invasion in February —“I’ve wanted to hug them so much. I’ve wanted to be able to touch them,” President Zelensky tells Rachel Donadio, the author of the piece.

But the combination of Vogue’s usual interests (fashion, glamour) and the brutal reality of the war jars. Donadio comments that she “couldn’t help but think that [Zelenska’s] shirt had the same rusty hue as the burned-out Russian tanks that I saw lining roads in Irpin and Bucha”. She at least has the awareness to comment that “it is strange to talk about Ukrainian extermination and Ukrainian fashion in the same conversation.” I fear that the thousands of Ukrainian women stuck in refugee camps may find it a little more that strange.

The accompanying photos, taken by veteran Annie Leibovitz, have a similar effect, screaming: ‘War…but make it fashion!” as the meme goes. It is hard to imagine a wartime Winston and Clementine Churchill posing for similar shots, passionately clutching each other and gazing into the camera.

But, in a twenty-first century war, perhaps these kind of publicity stunts are required. Zelenska’s husband clearly believes so. He films a daily briefing to update the nation and seems to be doing appearances at anywhere that will have him from tech forums to Glastonbury last month. Boris Johnson and others have warned against “Ukraine fatigue”, perhaps the Vogue shoot is just the latest attempt to remind NATO countries and their citizens that Ukraine is still here and still needs support. Or perhaps Ukraine’s president showman (and his glamorous assistant) is taking up a little too much of the limelight…