The war happening in Ukraine concerns Europe, as Ukraine is fighting for Europe’s freedom and security, said Jen Stout, a freelance journalist from Scotland who visited Kherson on the anniversary of its liberation from Russian forces (11 November), in an interview to Suspilne.
“In my opinion, they (people in the West. – Ed.) still have fingers in their ears. They are saying, ‘We are fine, we are safe.’ I need them to understand what this war is about. This war is about Europe. Ukraine is fighting for Europe’s freedom and security, I want them to understand that,” she said.
The journalist added that the support for Ukraine in Scotland is very strong, saying that in the countryside and in cities alike you can see Ukrainian flags hanging on people’s houses or in apartments.
“But some people just don’t know, maybe they don’t care. They feel like the war is very far away from them. They think they’re safe from Russia. It’s not true, but they feel that way,” the journalist said.
Jen Stout said she had wanted to visit Kherson back in 2022, after it was liberated.
“I really wanted to come here on 11 November, the day of liberations, but I was in Kharkiv at that time, I couldn’t get here because of the numerous restrictions. This was my plan for a long time, to come here, and I’m very happy to be here,” she said.
Jen spent three days in Kherson. She said that she had met many people, such as park workers.
“We also visited some shelters, saw some kids, and traveled around the city in general. It was really interesting. We also talked about civil defense, which is important, and how the city lives, how people try to lead a normal life here,” the journalist said.
