A six-year-old Ukrainian boy whose parents perished in the brutal siege of Mariupol has written to Boris Johnson to thank the Prime Minister and the people of Britain for their support.
The handwritten letter from Elijah Kostushevych was re-tweeted by Melinda Simmons, the British ambassador to Ukraine, and has since gone viral.
The Ukrainian embassy in London last night said it will deliver the letter to Mr Johnson. In his letter, Elijah writes: ‘I want the war to stop.
Ukrainian orphan writes to Boris to thank British people for support https://t.co/d96dpBkbia
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 29, 2022
‘I want to stop the deaths of people. And I want to play football in Mariupol.’
He adds: ‘I want every kid to be free of war. Warm greetings to all children in the United Kingdom. Thank you for support. We will win!’ Elijah’s parents are thought to have died in a missile strike that destroyed their home.
The little boy was rescued by Ukrainian volunteers from the Russian blockade and is now being cared for by a couple in the town of Slovyansk.
Elijah wrote his note in response to an open letter from Mr Johnson to the children of Ukraine last week, in which the Prime Minister said: ‘Many of you have seen or experienced things no children should witness.
‘Yet every day Ukrainian children are teaching all of us what it means to be strong and dignified.’
A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘The Prime Minister thanks Elijah very much for his letter and praises him for his impressive strength and resilience in the face of so many difficulties.
‘He hopes he will be able to return to play football in Mariupol soon.’
This article has been adapted from its original source.
