Robert F. Kennedy's Grandson Conor Says He Fought in Ukraine: 'Willing to Die There'
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Conor Kennedy is speaking candidly about his decision to fight in the Ukraine war.
This month, the 28-year-old grandson of Robert F. Kennedy revealed he joined Ukraine's International Legion of foreign fighters in a lengthy Instagram post and said he was "willing to die" for the country.
"Like many people, I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year. I wanted to help. When I heard about Ukraine's International Legion, I knew I was going, and I went to the embassy to enlist the next day," he began.
Noting how he "told one person here where I was, and I told one person there my real name," Kennedy said that he "didn't want my family or friends to worry, and I didn't want to be treated differently there."
"Going in, I had no prior military experience and wasn't a great shot, but I could carry heavy things and learned fast," he added. "I was also willing to die there. So they soon agreed to send me to the northeastern front."
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Continuing his post, Kennedy detailed that his time in Ukraine "wasn't long," though he said he "saw a lot and I felt a lot."
"I liked being a soldier, more than I had expected. It is scary. But life is simple, and the rewards for finding courage and doing good are substantial," he said, without detailing when exactly he left the International Legion.
"My friends there know why I had to come home," Kennedy, onetime boyfriend to Taylor Swift, added. "l'll always owe them for their example. I know I'm lucky I made it back, but I would also take all the risks we took over again."
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Kennedy then called the war between Russia and Ukraine "horrific," as he said that the "people I met were the bravest I have ever known."
"My fellow legionnaires — who came from different countries, backgrounds, ideologies — are true freedom fighters," he said. "As are the citizens I knew, many of whom have lost everything in their long struggle against oligarchy, and toward a democratic system. They know this isn't a war between equals, it's a revolution."
Kennedy added: "This war will shape the fate of democracy in this century. There's more to say about its politics and the role of western governments there. For now, I'll only urge you to help in your personal capacity. Join the legion, help on the border, or send medical supplies. Every day, someone there sacrifices everything for a lasting peace. They can't be asked to act alone."
The United States advises against traveling to Ukraine during the Russian invasion as a handful of foreign nationals have been trapped, captured or killed.
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Russia's attack on Ukraine continues after their forces launched a large-scale invasion on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades. Details of the fighting change by the day, but hundreds of civilians have already been reported dead or wounded, including children. Millions of Ukrainians have also fled, the United Nations says.
"You don't know where to go, where to run, who you have to call. This is just panic," Liliya Marynchak, a 45-year-old teacher in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, told PEOPLE of the moment her city was bombed — one of numerous accounts of bombardment by the Russians.
The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia.
With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.
Putin, 70, insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country. Zelenskyy, 44, vowed not to bend. "Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians," he told the European Union in a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, "Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness."
The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.
