By Claire Corrigan
A Ukrainian mother-of-two is desperately trying to make her way to Mullingar with her two children as she flees Odessa in besieged Ukraine.
Lena Dyachenko, her daughter Polina and son Alexei were trying on Monday to reach Budapest in order to board a flight to Dublin.
On that day, it was revealed that talks between Ukraine and Russia had started at the Belarussian border. Kyiv’s goal for the discussions was an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine.
Mullingar man Dave Raftis became friends with Lena and her family a number of years ago and has travelled to the Ukraine a number of times.
“In the immediate term, somebody needs to meet these people at Dublin airport and inform them, welcome them and feed them when they come into the country,” Dave told Topic.
