Celebrities

Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriend reveals he's been fighting in the Ukraine war

Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriend reveals he's been fighting in the Ukraine war
Russians "don't stand a chance" Zelenskyy tells Ukrainian people
Euronews

Conor Kennedy, a member of the famous Kennedy family (Robert F. Kennedy Jr's son), who dated Taylor Swift back in his teens, has shared how he's been secretly fighting in Ukraine against Russia.

It's unclear how long the 28-year-old was in Ukraine, but in a lengthy Instagram post Kennedy described his time in the war-torn country and how he was "willing to die there."

He posted an accompanying photo of his friend Nick who is facing away from the camera in his army gear.

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"Like many people, I was deeply moved by what I saw happening in Ukraine over the past year," Kennedy, the grandson of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, wrote in the caption.

"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."

Kennedy told one person where he was going and one person his real name and explained his reasons for wanting to fight anonymously.

"I didn’t want my family or friends to worry, and I didn’t want to be treated differently there," he said.

"Going in, I had no prior military experience and wasn’t a great shot, but I could carry heavy things and learned fast. I was also willing to die there. So they soon agreed to send me to the northeastern front."



"My time in Ukraine wasn’t long but I saw a lot and I felt a lot,” he added.

"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."

Kennedy also paid tribute to his "fellow legionnaires — who came from different countries, backgrounds, ideologies," to fight in the war as well as the Ukrainian citizens "whom have lost everything in their long struggle against oligarchy, and toward a democratic system."

"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," he said.

After this, Kennedy urged people to help Ukraine in any way they can.

"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," he concluded.

The International Legion was set up by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy back in February to ask foreigners to help join the war against Russia. Within a week, 20,000 people from 52 countries had signed up, TIMEreported.

Kennedy made headlines in 2012 at the age of 18 when he dated Taylor Swift, they were pictured together in Cape Cod and Swift had bought a house close to the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port at the time.

The two broke up after a few months of dating and the song "Begin Again," off Swift's 2012 album "Red" is rumoured to be about their relationship.

Now, Kennedy is reported to be dating Brazilian singer Giulia Be, according to Page Six.

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