Where are your eyes, world? Can you not see? People are dying every day

As the Ukraine conflict drags on, a passionate cris de coeur for our ongoing support for the embattled nation. But is its author a politician or soldier? No, she is a 15-year-old girl whose words should inspire us all, writes Lord Ashcroft

- Lord Ashcroft

THE speech is inspirational, powerful and emotional in equal measure. The words would not have been out of place from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he had been addressing the US Congress seeking further aid for his country.

It begins: "Where are your eyes, World? Can you not see? People are dying, people are dying every day! People are getting killed for no reason. Everywhere, at home, shopping centres and at the playgrounds.

Just tell me why? Why do Ukrainians have to suffer these terrorist attacks from Russia?" But these moving words are, in fact, written not by a politician, a diplomat or a senior military officer but by a 15-year-old Ukrainian girl now attending a British school.

The quality of the address, penned by Anastasiia Kapustian in her second language, left teachers astonished.

Now there are moves to try to get it published all over the world to inspire support for her homeland.

Anastasiia's speech continues: "Have you ever heard the sound of a bomb falling? No? Well, every child in Ukraine knows the difference between the C-300 and OFZAB [bombs]. I hope you never become familiar with these sounds.

"Yet for Ukrainians, each of these bombs are associated with death, each of these bombs stole someone's life.

"Someone's mother will never hear the voice of her child, someone's dad/brother/ sister/mum will never come back home and will say how they love each other. And all of this is happening because of the terrorist state, Russia, which no one can stop because of their power.

"For most of the world it's just a game in which case they just play with people's lives.

Of course no one cares about Ukraine, of course no one heard about Ukraine before the most recent invasion of Ukraine in 2022.