Football managers have been known to call for their team’s supporters to be their “twelfth man” because some clubs have such vociferous fans that the opposition is intimidated by the noise they make and they help to win the match.
The analogy in warfare is not exactly the same, but there is no doubt that the touchline support from the EU to Ukraine has sustained the country in its fight for freedom. This week’s response to the latest Russian aggression is a good example, with NATO countries providing the means for Ukraine’s 221 drone counter-attack on Putin’s energy resources and the deployment of extra troops, artillery and air defence systems to the Russian border area after the incursion into Polish airspace.
Prince Harry’s visit to Kyiv may seem trivial against this support, but there is no doubt that it symbolises Britain’s deep empathy with Ukraine and represents our unifying sentiment towards the victims of war. So, this time: “Well Done Harry!”
Rupert Wieloch 