For Ukrainians, 2024 looks like being yet another unhappy year - Steve Cardownie

I took the opportunity to enjoy some of the events held in Edinburgh with some of my relatives from Ukraine. I say enjoy, but any enjoyment that could be derived from the festivities was tempered by the knowledge of what was happening back in their own country.

Ukrainian rescuers carry a wounded woman out of a damaged residential building in the centre of Kharkiv after a missile strike on January 2

With their menfolk staying home, the party spirit was somewhat subdued as they “celebrated” their second Christmas and New Year here in Scotland rather than back home in Kyiv.

Seven hundred apartments were damaged recently in the city of Vyshneve, and Kyiv suffered continuous drone attacks, prompting the city administration to warn people that they must be even more alert and stay close to shelters.

The Russian despot, Vladimir Putin, has pledged to intensify strikes as the war shows no sign of letting up.

And still the USA and the European Union stalls on the promises they made to provide Ukraine with more arms and equipment.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister said that Ukraine needed more air defence systems and ammunition, combat drones and long-range missiles.

But still the Republicans in Congress are holding up a $60 billion package and in the EU, Hungary has blocked the passage of a 50 billion euro package.

Given this uncertainty which Ukraine is trying desperately hard to unblock, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy used his New Year broadcast to announce that Ukraine will build at least a million drones this year and pledged to continue the fight.

So, it is little wonder that my Ukrainian relatives are getting increasingly anxious and are hoping that the war will soon be over but given the prevalent circumstances it looks like being a forlorn hope.