The Transport Ambulances to Ukraine campaign has raised more than three million euros. Thanks to the TV program Even tot Hier, Nijmegen-based university lecturer Sanne van Vuuren saw the balance of her foundation grow day by day. For several years now, she has been working together with her Ukrainian-Dutch husband, Oleg Lysenko, to support Ukraine.

The foundation founded by Van Vuuren and Lysenko has purchased 63 ambulances and evacuation vehicles. At one point, the yellow vehicles were lined up in long rows across the fields surrounding their farmhouse. Van Vuuren is an associate professor of English linguistics and program coordinator for English Language and Culture. Since February 24, 2022—the day Russia invaded Ukraine—her life has changed drastically.

Although she follows the war from the safety of the Netherlands, the emotional distance feels small: ‘My husband Oleg receives the most horrific photos and videos from friends and acquaintances at the front. We wake up to them and go to bed with them.’

From her position of safety and relative wealth, combined with her personal connection to the country, Van Vuuren feels a moral obligation to contribute to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

Together with Lysenko and several friends, she founded Music for Ukraine, an organization in which Dutch, Ukrainian and Russian musicians raise money through benefit concerts for ambulances and other medical supplies. Lysenko himself is a professional button accordion player, making this a natural way for him to support his country of birth.

Hopeful

Van Vuuren has family in Ukraine: her mother-in-law and brother-in-law live in the city of Poltava, which was hit by a major missile attack in September 2024. ‘That concern for people there is always present in the background. After all, no one is truly safe. But we don’t dwell on it every day—perhaps because you get used to it, but also because it would be too difficult to sustain.’

She constantly follows the latest developments in the war. ‘I’m a bit of a news addict. I’m constantly refreshing The Guardian and live blogs. But when you’re at work and have to teach afterward, you have to switch gears quite abruptly and push what you’ve seen out of your mind.’

I’m a bit of a news addict. I’m constantly refreshing The Guardian and live blogs.

According to Van Vuuren, many people in the Netherlands feel involved with Ukraine, but also powerless when reading war news. That this sense of powerlessness can be turned into action became clear last November and December, when Lysenko appeared on the TV show Even tot Hier. The show launched the fundraising campaign TATU: Transport Ambulances to Ukraine.

The campaign raised over three million euros. ‘It’s incredibly hopeful to see how many different people have donated and support our work,’ she says. People help not only by donating money, but also by organizing benefit concerts or volunteering as drivers to transport ambulances to Ukraine.

Support comes from all corners of society: ‘During Carnival, people in Den Bosch even fried spring rolls to raise money for us.’

Putting things into perspective

According to Van Vuuren, solidarity with Ukraine is ‘perhaps more necessary than ever.’ Due to Russian attacks, many parts of the country only have electricity for about an hour a day, and homes are difficult to heat, while temperatures dropped far below freezing this winter.
‘People set up tents in their living rooms just to stay a little warm,’ she says.

Meanwhile, the war continues unabated. Her husband is in direct contact with the recipients of the ambulances. Occasionally, he even receives messages that a donated ambulance has saved lives. On the other hand, there is bad news too: ‘So far, four of the ambulances we sent to Ukraine have been destroyed by the Russian army.’

The foundation’s work takes a great deal of time and energy, she says, yet she continues: ‘It has essentially become a second full-time job. But when you look at what’s happening in Ukraine, it really puts things into perspective. It helps you see things more clearly, although I suspect it can sometimes be quite irritating for the people around me.’ When her children complain about the food, she responds:
‘I’m sorry, but there are people with much bigger problems.’

Dutch Support

The Dutch government continues to support Ukraine, but solidarity is no longer as self-evident as it was at the beginning of the war, Van Vuuren notes. There has been criticism from some political quarters about the billions in aid pledged by the government. In 2024, former Minister of Asylum and Migration Mona Keijzer even suggested that Western Ukraine might be safe enough and questioned whether Ukrainian refugees could return.

I have always been a pacifist, but the war in Ukraine has changed my perspective.

Van Vuuren emphasizes the importance of continued solidarity, because the war also affects Europe:
‘We should be grateful that the fighting is not taking place on our own territory. Russian rhetoric shows that they see not only Ukraine but also Europe as an enemy. That makes it in our own interest to actively support Ukraine.’

‘I have always been a pacifist, but the war in Ukraine has changed my perspective. Ukrainians are fighting in self-defense—they have no alternative. I’m not in favor of war, of course, but pacifism seems like a luxury reserved for people living in safe countries. If your own children are in danger, you want to be able to defend them.’

The Russian occupation is brutal, she says. She gives the example of an orchestra conductor from Kherson, a former fellow student of Lysenko, who was murdered for refusing to conduct a piece celebrating the Russian annexation. ‘When you later hear what happened in the areas occupied by Russia… it’s almost unbearable.’