Post by Chris Karelse

From Amsterdam to Kyiv: a stop in Lviv At the Ukrainian border, I ran into two Dutch photographers (Jurgen Huiskes and Harmen De Jong) on the same mission — driving in a car full of equipment to donate in Kyiv. That night, we decided to walk into the city centre of Lviv together. What struck me first was how people there embrace life. Strangers gathering in the square. A teacher singing with her students, and more people joining in just because they heard the laughter. Or the singer on the balcony. It felt like joy, refusing to be cancelled. But underneath it, a real question kept coming up: how do Europeans back home actually feel about the war now? After 4.5 years, there’s genuine concern that we’re growing tired of helping. The next day, I visited the cemetery. That’s where it hit me. Row after row of flags and photos — young men and women who should have been in the prime of their lives. One looked like a teacher. Another like a CEO (who looks like a CEO?) A woman who could’ve been a model. A man I could easily picture at a festival this summer. They didn’t choose this war and they gave everything. We need to keep standing with Ukraine — governments, yes, but also each and every one of us. There are still plenty of ways to help, whether that’s donating or volunteering. 👇 If you know of other ways people can support Ukraine, please share them in the comments. Let’s turn this post into an extra resource. There are plenty of posts like this, yet maybe this one or the fact it is a repetitive message on timelines helps. Credits to Harmen for the video #StandWithUkraine #Lviv Marijn Markus Yana Rudenko Christine Khariv Joris Luyendijk Eyes on Ukraine Stichting De Leeuw Kyiv Hope4 Ukraine

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