I know it’s not much but it’s the best I can do

I can hardly take my eyes of the rolling TV news coverage of Russia’s murderous invasion of Ukraine. It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. Vladimir Putin, the thoroughly modern Hitler, has taken his troops deep into the country, cryptically warning all and sundry of a nuclear attack. Thermobaric flamethrowers are in position, cluster bombs already being used and hundreds of innocent people being murdered. This morning, Sky News had a reporter outside Kyiv railway station. Although there was no sign of the enemy, the scene was as upsetting as anything I have seen.

Hundreds of people, mainly women and children, some infants and babies, waiting desperately to escape. One family had their dog with them. Their lives are being stolen from them.

When these desperate refugees from terrorism and even genocide have left Ukraine (not THE Ukraine as home secretary idiot Priti Patel insists on calling it), where will they end up? Most of the world has opened its doors, offering to harbour these desperate people for as long as is necessary. Except in Britain, of course, where pure evil dominates government policy. Only if you have relatives can Ukrainians come to Britain because we can never know whether these refugees are terrorists. We – well, the UK Border Force – is literally turning back refugees at the Paris Eurostar terminal. Shame on us.

Tory minister Kevin Foster came up with a novel solution, which to be fair fits in neatly with Boris Johnson and Priti Patel’s narrative, by suggesting refugees, mainly older people and women and children, could apply to pick fruit on British farms. What a great idea! And perhaps some children could be sent up chimneys, too. This is the level of debate to which we have been refused. But this is all irrelevant because refugees with no family over here can’t come over to do anything, let alone pick fruit.

Sky News showed a woman and her children hugging a man I assumed to be her husband and the children’s father. He was too young to be allowed to leave Ukraine so you can imagine the stresses and strains that will cause on both sides. This is the human side of Putin’s war.

I fear Kyiv will be rubble by the time Russia’s armed forces have done their worst. I doubt that Putin has a conscience to be even vaguely troubled by the coming carnage which will result in the destruction of the country and countless deaths. The rest of the world, including Britain, but not our so called leaders, does have a collective conscience.

I’m going to a pro-Ukraine rally in Bristol tonight to show my own support for its people. I know it’s not much but it’s the best I can do. Woe betide any far right or far left Stop the West Trots who get in my way. At least I’ll be able to take my eyes off the TV for a bit.