My best friend is Ukranian, he came to the UK when he was 12 years old, but has extended family and many friends in the Odessa region, a place called Chornomorsk.

We all went to his wedding there in 2007 and were going back in 2014 before it all kicked off.

My friend hates Russia and I have to respect how this affects him personally and the affect it is having on his family.

When he is not around, I have very different conversations with his English wife.

I got a fresh perspective when I visited Warsaw for a halving party April last year. We did a vintage bus tour around the city and it was explained how they are surrounded by countries that are opposed to each other. As a result Poland has regularly been the battleground and the victim in the many conflicts that have surrounded it.

Sometimes victims are inevitable.