As Christmas approaches, we have one simple message: thank you. Our campaign, On the Breadline, in partnership with Comic Relief and The Childhood Trust, has hit a remarkable £3.7 million — the most we have ever raised in a single month.
None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our major donors, sister charities and you our readers. The money will go to help people in London and around the country who are struggling to afford life’s basic necessities. From supporting children’s breakfast clubs to helping older people afford to keep the heat on, the campaign will provide a lifeline for so many people.
Vital help for Ukraine
Nearly 10 months ago, when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin believed he would take the capital, Kyiv, within days and even be greeted as a hero. At the same time, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky was advised to flee. He refused. His nation heroically fought back and, with the assistance of the West, has regained territory from Russia.
Zelensky’s visit to Washington DC was full of symbolism. From his meeting with US president Joe Biden in the Oval Office, fire roaring behind them, to his address to Congress, where he handed a battle flag to Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed by troops on the front line in Bakhmut.
But the trip is about far more than symbols. Ukraine needs Western support more than ever. And Zelensky remade a powerful case. “Your money is not charity. It’s an investment in global security,” he said. And he is right. In his address, Zelensky — who has proved to be a communicator without parallel — harked back to US victories in the Battle of the Bulge, a turning point against Nazi Germany in the Second World War, and the Revolutionary War Battle of Saratoga, an American victory that helped draw France’s aid for US independence.
This is not just good manners but cold calculation. The reality is Ukraine needs the US the most. America is by far the largest single donor to the country. Zelensky understands all too well the need to banish any creeping sense of war fatigue, particularly with an incoming Republican majority in the House of Representatives more divided on support for his cause.
Having failed to capture Kyiv, Putin is now attempting to bring Ukraine to its knees through deliberate and targeted attacks on civilian infrastructure. These are war crimes and they will not work. Far from breaking Ukrainian resistance, they will only reinforce it.
Still, Ukraine needs the West more than ever. Not only military equipment but financial support, with its economy in tatters. But on a fundamental level, Zelensky is right: this is not charity. Ukraine is our neighbour and our friend, a free nation on the front line of the right to self-determination, and we must continue to support it.
Merry Christmas
Today marks the final print edition of the Evening Standard for 2022. But fear not — until the paper returns on January 3 you can continue to follow the news, sport and everything in between at standard.co.uk as usual. We wish all our readers a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
