WHILE US president Donald Trump has decided to halt aid and intelligence to Ukraine, 62-year-old Iain Gordon of Stranraer will make his 17th trip delivering aid to the frontlines.
Gordon began making his trips through a charity organisation and quickly formed a bond with the war-torn nation, continuing to deliver aid there by himself.
With the help of the Stranraer community and various charities, Gordon fundraises to pay for the vehicle and the aid itself.
In July, He will embark on the drive from Scotland to Ukraine once again, delivering much-needed aid, from Lviv to Kharkiv.
According to Gordon, the necessity of these trips is more apparent than ever: “The need in Ukraine has not relaxed since the start of the war and is probably greater now.
"I take all my aid directly to the orphans, the schools, the hospitals and the community administrations dealing with people living in ‘hot zones’.”
“I also take items for military use and for military medics. I see the devastated, desperate people who need this and the huge relief when they receive it, and get unbelievable thanks from them.”
With this experience, he is disheartened with Trump’s decision to cast off Ukraine after the disastrous meeting in which he bullied and belittled president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“At first I thought, like many others, that Trump was being tactical and had Ukraine's best interest at heart. With light of the things he is doing now in respect of Ukraine and other things, I now believe him to be interested in self-importance and ego, along with greed. He is obviously aiming for the Peace Prize.”
Despite this blow to Ukrainian-US relations, Gordon has not given up hope for the country’s future, and its sovereignty.
“Obviously I wish for peace for Ukraine and for the missile attacks to stop. I do not want to see Ukraine give up the territory the Russians have taken control of," he said.
“I have seen personally the death and destruction as it happens. Unless you have seen this with your own eyes, you will never fully understand the situation. I have lost friends in this war. The EU and UK have to take control and be prepared for the US to make even more problems.”
Zelenskyy spoke to EU leaders on Thursday at an emergency summit, held to discuss support for Ukraine, and thanked the European nations for making sure Ukraine was “not alone” at such a crucial time.
