Thanks so much for attending! It was great to finally see you make it. Glad you found interesting.

FREE TALK - How not to flee a war - Booking by Bookwhen

How NOT to Flee a War is heading to #Warrington next! If you live in or near Warrington, get yourself a free ticket here to hear our story of escape from Russia’s full-scale invasion and what happens once you’re physically safe.

Wed, March 11, 6:30-8pm

bookwhen.com/westbrookfri...

Shwmae from #Cardiff, the capital of Cymru!

Really looking forward to delivering our How Not to Flee a War talk at the Welsh Parliament tomorrow afternoon, followed by a talk at Le Pub in #Newport!

Come see me and my partner Jez at one of the two — drop me a line and I’ll give more info.

Standing with Ukraine cannot be symbolic.

#Ukraine needs weapons.
It needs real, enforced sanctions.

#Russia must be forced to withdraw — now.

Ukrainians are tired of being called “resilient”. Resilience is what remains when the world hesitates.

Give us the right to just live our lives.
The right not to be heroic every day.

Millions of uprooted lives.

Hundreds of thousands of losses.

Homes destroyed. Lives ended.

Occupation. Cold. Darkness.

I speak because others were forced into silence.

What I Carry Is Not Luck, but Obligation | Refugee Week Guest blog: Maria Romanenko writes about how her experiences reframed her role in advocating for Ukraine.

But when Russia silences so many Ukrainians, visibility becomes an obligation.

This is something I spoke about in my recent blog for @refugeeweek.bsky.social:

refugeeweek.org/what-i-carry...

Before 24 February 2022, I never imagined I would be speaking on international media, addressing parliaments, or taking part in exhibitions and books.

This was never an ambition.

I would trade it all for a peaceful life in a peaceful Kyiv.

When I am given visibility, I use it to speak about those who no longer can.

About Maks Levin, executed for being a journalist.

About Viktoriia Roshchyna, whose main wish was to report the truth — and who was tortured to death by Russia.

Recently, I took part in a photo project by Oksana Lytvynenko.

She told me that virtually every Ukrainian woman she interviewed could remember exactly where she was and what she was doing on February 24, 2022.

That moment is frozen in us.

An anniversary we never wanted to mark. A date we never wanted to remember.

Four years since #Russia launched its full-scale invasion of #Ukraine.

For every Ukrainian, life split into “before” and “after”.

This isn’t just about art. It’s about responsibility. And about choosing to remember — actively.

Memory is a verb.

#Ukraine #RussiaIsATerroristState

The portrait I’m holding in this photo is the one entrusted to me.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll take it to the Welsh Parliament, where I’ll speak about Vika’s work and about what the Russians did to her.

One original will go to Vika’s family. Others are being shared with Ukrainian organisations, as a reminder of the cost of telling the truth.

But for me, it also mattered that this memory lives beyond #Ukraine.

To honour Vika and her work, three oil portraits were created, along with seven prints.

They’re meant to be seen by many people — and to speak where Viktoriia no longer can.

Her body was later returned to her father, mutilated to hide the marks of torture.

That idea sits at the centre of this project — one I’ve been helping to run to honour the memory of my colleague, journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna who was captured by Russians in a Russia-occupied area of #Ukraine while reporting, taken to a Russian prison, and tortured to death.

“Memory is a verb” is a phrase I first heard in a speech given by a 16-year-old Ukrainian girl Anna.

It stuck with me — because memory doesn’t live on its own. We have to do something for it. 🧵⬇️

Why expectations around the upcoming Ukraine–US–Russia talks remain very modest in Ukraine.

#Russia hasn’t shifted its position, attacks continue during winter, and #Ukraine is negotiating under pressure.

From my interview on BBC Radio Ulster this morning ⬇️

What #Ukraine actually needs for peace.

Talks only work when they’re backed by pressure, enforcement, and real security — not just announcements.

@bbc5live.bsky.social | Part 2 of 2

Talks don’t work when one side is negotiating under pressure and the other feels it can wait.

Peace only works when #Ukraine goes into negotiations from a position of strength — and that’s not what’s happening right now.

Part 1 of today’s @bbc5live.bsky.social interview.

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Want to explore #Manchester and support #Ukraine in a direct, meaningful way?

📩 Message me.

Let’s walk with purpose.

#SupportUkraine #StandWithUkraine️ #CharityTour

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I run these Ukrainian-language tours on a charity-only basis. I don’t keep a penny.

You donate (min. £50 per group) — I guide you through #Manchester — and all the money goes directly to Ukrainian orgs like UNBROKEN, Lifeline Ukraine, & Taras Chuchman’s Invincible Defenders

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100% of the money was donated to UNBROKEN, which provides free prosthetics, surgeries, and psychological support to civilians and veterans wounded by #Russia’s military actions in #Ukraine.

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Last month, I led a private walking tour of #Manchester.

It wasn’t just about history — it was about helping #Ukraine.

Together with Europia charity and one participant’s extra donation, we raised £140 to support the UNBROKEN rehabilitation centre in #Lviv.

If attacks on energy and nuclear-linked infrastructure escalate, the consequences would be catastrophic: widespread blackouts, no heating, no light — in the middle of winter.

I spoke on @lbc.co.uk this morning to draw attention to this reality.

This isn’t geopolitics. It’s survival.

This week, #Ukraine ran short of key air-defence missiles, leaving cities more exposed. At the same time, #Russia continues to strike energy infrastructure.

This isn’t accidental — it’s pressure through suffering.

#Ukraine is freezing.

–15°C outside. Around 5°C inside apartments.

People move from café to café just to warm up. At home, there’s no heat, no power, no way to live normally.

On @bbc5live.bsky.social last night:

Intent is welcome — but without guarantees, it doesn’t equal security.

#Ukraine needs weapons, real sanctions, and for #Russia to stop being treated as a good-faith actor.

Just before Christmas, I spoke on @lbc.co.uk about how #Ukraine was heading into the holidays — with some relief, but also fear and no illusion that the war would pause for #Christmas.

Half-measures don’t end wars. They make them drag on.