It is a diabolical dilemma for 28-year-old Kirill Blokker from Tilburg. All day in front of the television to follow the news about Ukraine, where his family lives? Or do you want to bet fully on the municipal elections on March 16? Because Kirill is the campaign manager for D66 in Tilburg and he is also on the list. “They are fighting in Ukraine for what we are going to do on March 16: hold free elections.”
These are grueling days for Kirill. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, he has split his attention between Twitter and CNN. Kirill’s mother is from Ukraine. She now lives in Belgium, but his grandparents and aunts, uncles and nephews still live near Kiev.
“My mother was in tears: bombs are falling on Kiev. My uncle lives near Kiev and drove to the city by car to pick up his son and see if Grandpa wanted to come with me. I thought my family would be in the Netherlands the next day. It is only a twenty hour drive from Kiev. But they said that wasn’t the case. They don’t want to flee because then you pull the plug.”
Kirill couldn’t really think about the municipal elections here in the Netherlands for the first few days. He withdrew from his campaign work and was chained to the TV at home and was in constant contact with his mother, who again had a connection with Ukraine.
“My family was prepared for anything. But that Putin would destroy those cities, they could not have imagined. Why would you destroy the country you want to take in first?”
However, after the first few days it started to itch again. “At first I really thought: the municipal elections, what am I worried about? But that image tilted. You can see in Ukraine and Russia what can happen if there is no democracy. I hope that this situation will change public opinion a little bit.”
Kirill also sees that the majority of the Dutch will soon receive refugees from Ukraine with open arms. “It is only a small group of people who do not want new refugees. I hope that the hospitality will soon also apply to all other refugees.”
He himself is eager to do something for the Ukrainians. Here or with aid supplies at the border. He’s not out yet. However, he is again campaigning for the elections. Because the war in his mother’s country proves once again how important it is that we can vote freely here. “So do that,” is Kirill’s clear message.