The voice of a senior Ukrainian official audibly faltered today as he described to me the reaction of his country to President Trump’s “betrayal” by appearing to side with Russia.

I had called him to ask how he and his colleagues are feeling about the latest developments with America appearing to ditch Ukraine and allow Russia back into the international fold. Trump had only recently claimed Ukraine must shoulder some blame for the murderous invasion they are suffering from, horribly saying they had failed to negotiate peace.

In his crazy view of the world he claimed Ukraine had been “sitting at the table for three years”, forgetting that they had been fighting for their lives, dying, being kidnapped, tortured and raped. He has even poured scorn on Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky’s popularity and called for elections to replace his government.

The official told me: “That is a very tricky question, how am I feeling? Look, this is about justice and common values. We are fighting not just for Ukraine but for you as well. We love the support from our allies, especially from the UK. As well as common values and justice this fight is about truth too. We wish President Trump would not just look at the Russian narrative, for instance the figures for our President’s popularity.

“He said something like it was 4% but I can tell you that only this morning it is 57% in Ukraine and our side was not listened to. We wish our side was being listened to by the United States. But we will see- we will never give up. We stand with our President.”

It was a calm, analytical but passionate appeal for reason and respect for the truth from a man who knows that the fact is, he and his country are fighting for their lives. They are fighting for ours too.

But there were no rants, no screaming insults even in the face of such craven and two-faced mendacity from President Trump – just a dignified lesson in right and wrong. And that is what this fight comes down to, human decency and what is happening to Ukraine is indecent and it is deeply disturbing that anyone would support this Trump action. I know something of how this man I spoke to suffers from the invasion and cannot identify him.

But I also know that Ukrainians like him are everywhere on the frontline and across the country doing their bit to fight for the dwindling hope that the fact, the truth and daily suffering of this vile full-scale invasion that Russia has imposed on them will end.

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