It’s hard to put myself in the place of the thousands of people protesting in Whitehall against the invasion of their country, let alone the 44 million people in Ukraine itself.
The sight of families torn apart, tanks rolling, armed, is a terrible thing.
President Putin’s vicious attack is a terrifying new chapter after a traumatic few years for the world.
Smarter people than me will say that we should have seen it coming, or that it is part of a pattern of behaviour by a cruel dictator, or that we turned a blind eye for too long. That’s probably all true, but what matters is what is happening now.
Sanctions may not be as powerful as we would wish but they are what we have. Suspending Russia’s use of the Swift banking system would be a strong move.
At home we must welcome and help those who need it. Millions will be displaced by this assault on a free nation.
The Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal. Visit www.redcross.org.uk/get-involved/donate to support it.
The organisation's teams are already responding to water shortages and looking at healthcare needs, but they are also ready to adapt to whatever the rapidly changing situation requires, including food and hygiene items.
If you’re in north London and organising fundraising to help refugees, or protests, contact us at editorial@hamhigh.co.uk
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