The story of the Ukrainian journalist: I came to Kosovo because I loved everyone

A few days later they found some Ukrainians, who, like Albanians once, were forced to leave the country because of the war Russia started.

One of them is Daria Meschcheriakova, who is one of the journalists currently sheltered in Pristina.

In an interview in the special edition in Klan Kosova, Meschcheriakova said she has always been interested in Kosovo's history.

I ended up in Kosovo because I have always enjoyed this region and I have always been interested in the history of Kosovo and especially in the war that has been fought here. So when I saw that the Government of Kosovo made a programme for journalists from Ukraine, I applied immediately because I've always been here only as tourists, gathering stories about the fight”.

But now I realize that I can spend more time here and I can stay in Kosovo and not anywhere else because I really believe that people here understand us best from all over Europe, and when I came here three weeks ago I realized that I was right because every time I talk to some individual from Kosovo, I don't have to explain what's going on.

She has said that the Government of Kosovo has been very helpful.

Everyone's been waiting here with all my heart and I stay here in my apartment if you can say it because the Government of Kosovo is very helpful in this regard. I have arrived with my cat, so we share this apartment together and every day I feel support from the people of Kosovo.
I have only my parents and they are under occupation, my town has been occupied since 2014, and my parents can't leave at the moment, said she.

Nobody's safe in Ukraine right now. I can't say they're safe but they're getting along somehow. We talk every day, even though there's no Internet in Ukraine, they've cut it off. But fortunately, my parents still have the Internet and we talk every evening about the situation. I can't tell you everything they tell me because I care too much about their safety, but Russia isn't stopping sending their troops and weapons to Ukraine”

“I don't feel the uncertainty here, Kosovo is a very good place, a very hospitable country, but I don't want to call myself refugee, I'm a temporarily displaced country. I'm going back to Ukraine”

Meschcheriakova said that every day he hopes the war will come to an end and return home.

I will continue to work in Ukraine and yes, I just want this war to end and then I will remember Kosovo as a wonderful place to welcome me. Absolutely, how could I not miss my homeland? I lost my city eight years ago and the place where I lived for 17 years and left everything back in Kiev and took only my cat, some precious stuff and left in March”.

Every day I dream of this war coming to an end and I come home. The war is the same because of Serbian and Russian propaganda. They made this war look different for its citizens. My relatives in Russia hate me, they call me Nazi, and we've broken every relationship with them because it's impossible because they threaten me all the time. My Russian relatives, the same as people from Serbia, they have this strong connection with Russia and yes, they have threatened me on Facebook, they have offended me a lot just because I'm from Ukraine”.

This was done after they realized I would be in Kosovo, when I shared my confession and did not give any political statements, so Serbs threatened me only because I am from Ukraine. I work here every day. I do everything to help Ukraine and the information throne is very important, also because you see what Russia's doing with propaganda, so we're trying to tell Europe what's really going on there. So, yes, I'm very happy that I'm able to work here and I have all the conditions to do this”, she said.