Caller says the UK ‘should give Ukrainians what they need to finish the job’
19 February 2023, 12:29
This caller, who hosts a Ukrainian woman and her two young children in her home, says Britain needs to equip Ukraine so the country can “get the Russians off their territory.”
In a discussion with David Lammy about how the UK should support Ukraine as Russia’s invasion reaches its one-year anniversary, Rebecca in Marlow said the father of the family she hosts is still in Ukraine fighting.
“The tanks were built in 1968,” she revealed. “They're incredibly inaccurate.” She told David that the tanks’ inefficient design means shooting can sometimes give away his location to opposition soldiers, and means he doesn’t always hit his target.
Rebecca then said the father has taken to wearing a cross around his neck, because he knows “he’s in so much danger; it could be any day now.”
She blamed the equipment that the Ukrainian soldiers are fighting with, telling David it's “very poor.”
Rebecca was frustrated about how the conversation about how to support Ukraine can end up being more about what Western countries think is best, saying she firmly believes “Ukraine should be able to decide its own destiny.”
“It’s not for us in the West to tell President Zelensky what’s best for his country,” she emphasised. “We need to give them the tools they need to finish the war.
David reminded listeners that 2023 is set to be a “critical year” for the conflict, where “we want to see Ukraine prevail.” He asked Rebecca about her experience of welcoming a Ukrainian family into her home.
Rebecca spoke positively about the 250 Ukrainians who moved to Marlow, saying “virtually all of them” have found jobs and were welcomed by the community.
She emphasised it had been a “brilliant” experience.
