Every day, devastating things happen across the globe; some make the news for a few days, whilst others go completely unspoken of because public news stories only ever last as long as people’s attention spans – which, if you need clarification, isn’t very long. But at the minute, if you’re in Europe, then pretty much the only thing being shown by news channels is the Ukrainian-Russian War, and because I know that there’s no way of telling how long Ukraine will keep the attention of the continent, it only felt right that I say something on a platform where I know that some people will listen.

Right now, I’m being reminded of the extent of my privilege as a white, English, young woman because I’ve never known what it is to have friends or family in a country suffering persecution and war. But this time is different. I worked in Ukraine for 2 months in 2019, and for 3 weeks in the summer just gone, so whilst I may only know this country on a very small scale, it’s frightening to be texting friends who’re hearing bombs and hiding in metro stations when just 6 months ago we were sitting and laughing together, as they taught me Ukrainian and teased me about my accent.

The concept of invasion by a foreign power is not something many Brits have any understanding of, given that for centuries this nation was the threat and not the other way around; conveniently protected by oceans. This has largely meant that we can’t fathom what it would be like to live in a country where you’re never safe from invasion. We don’t really have the cultural capacity to imagine what it’s like to be told that you’re not what you thought you were, that the language you speak is no longer allowed, or that your home is now not the safest place to be. Hence, I can’t truly be an empath for my Ukrainian friends right now – no matter how much I might want to – but what I can do is draw as much attention to their voices as possible.

This isn’t a time to be passively ‘upset’ about what you’re seeing on the news, because as much as feeling sad or frightened is totally valid right now, my friends need more than that: they need something tangible.

So, listen to what the Ukrainian people are asking for and donate to their armed forces, go to a protest where you live, and keep talking about how blatantly wrong it is that these imperialist actions are still able to happen in the 21^st century. Even if I couldn’t put faces and personalities to this crisis, what’s happening in Ukraine right now is an unforgivable violation of human rights, which should never have been allowed to go as far as it already has. This historical event isn’t unprecedented, and it isn’t something unique to Ukraine. But surely, this happening so close to home should emphasise how people need to actually learn from history, rather than ignore it and then hopelessly repeat it until we all kill each other.

My words don’t feel sufficient right now, but they’re the best I can give to help my friends. Thus, I hope for them, that the rest of the world pulls through and that this insanity can end soon so that they’re not robbed of anything else.

All my love to you, and peace to Ukraine.