03/03/2022, 23:18

changing wording slightly at the very end


Neue Begründung:

Our friends Lyuda and Igor and their six children are at the time of writing fleeing their home in Chernihiv region in the northern part of Ukraine. They left their house with only the necessities and are hoping that by some miracle they will get through the war-torn Ukraine to the West. Their oldest daughter Asya is paralysed from birth and needs special care. Even if they manage to escape, I cannot imagine what kind of life is ahead of them.

Since I am not entirely sure they would like me to mention their names, I will only say that my relatives are at this moment in Kyiv and its vicinity.

Apart from donations to useful causes and hopefully a ride from the Ukrainian border to our home, I have no way to truly help any one of them.

In television, we see pictures of bombarded Kharkiv and Chernihiv, damaged houses in Kyiv, and listen as the politicians on one side talk about severe sanctions and on the other defend the importance of Russian gas.

I do not wish to downplay the problems of those who as a result of sanctions will get into financial straits, but at the end of the day it is only money. This money we may save or lose depending on the kind of sanctions we impose.

So I would like to ask the leaders of the so-called wealthy West:

• Will the money we are saving repay the suffering of millions of Ukrainians who lost their homes or their loved ones?
• Are going to use the money to build a new house for Lyuda and Igor in a free and independent Ukraine?
• Could money – should the worst come to pass – buy me a grandmother?

I have no delusions aboutthat this petition could realistically savingsave anyone,them, but I do not know what else to do.

In a world where human life is measured against a heating bill, I feel a great, great sorrow.

M. V.