The photo is of a young Ukrainian girl, sucking a lollipop while she holds a rifle, with a ribbon with the colours of the flag of her country in her hair. It’s an incredibly poignant image. She’s sitting in a broken window frame, looking off to her right. Brave, and ready to face whatever might be coming.
Of course what might be coming is Russian shells, mortar fire and missiles, or ground troops and tanks… any or all of the armaments of war that Putin’s army has unleashed on the civilian population of Ukraine since the start of the invasion some three weeks ago. Chocolate Bar Making Machine
Just don’t tell her please that tougher sanctions would be too expensive for Europe! pic.twitter.com/dJUGPMzPZX
The photo, a powerful statement, has been widely shared across social media since it was published and has been tweeted and posted to Facebook by Donald Tusk, former Polish Primer Minister and President of the European Council. He's now the President of the European People's Party.
He used the photo along with the message: “Just don’t tell her please that tougher sanctions would be too expensive for Europe”.
The photo was taken by Alexei Kirichenko in Kiev, and is of his nine-year old daughter. He posted it to his Facebook account on Friday, with the simple message: “Young girl with candy”.
In the comments he is asked if it is his daughter, and he replies that it is. He is asked if the photo was staged to “to highlight the horrors of Putin invading a nation and putting civilians, including children, in danger.” He explains that the photo is staged, and that he gave his daughter the gun, unloaded, for the photo.
While the photo may be staged to make a point, the reality is that children are directly involved in this war. Over 70 children have been killed in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and over 100 wounded, according to a Ukrainian parliament official.
To be able to comment you must be registered and logged in. Forgot password?
Enjoy live and on-demand online sports on DAZN. Activate your account
Deposit Jelly Candy Machine Now you can watch the entire NBA season or your favorite teams on streaming.