Ukrainians have similar mentality to Northern Irish says Belfast man who has toured the world

Belfast property developer David Simpson, 34, who is aiming to become the first person from the Province to visit every country in the world, said that although there was tension in Ukraine nothing pointed to the Russian invasion that is now taking place.

He visited Ukraine in the summer of 2016 exploring Kiev and Pripyat, home of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.

The following summer he went to Russia seeing the sites of St Petersburg and Moscow.

Asked if he got a sense of the tension in Ukraine that has led to recent events, David said: “There was always the issue with Crimea back when I visited but I found people there had a similar mentality as they do at home. Many have been living with the issue for so long it has long become the norm. It’s an unfortunate reality that happens across the world.

“There has always been some tension but was never any lasting threat in the region. You could draw the comparison with current day Northern Ireland although there might have been a lack of trust, there was never any signs of what it has led up to.”

Asked what Russians he has met on his travels think of President Putin, he said: “People are generally very supportive of President Putin and his foreign policy. Locals like to see their leader stand firm against foreign opposition and Putin does exactly that.

“I found this when I visit Syria last month and got chatting to a Russian tourist who was a very vocal supporter of President Putin. He felt Russia gets treated unfairly by the west as the behaviour of many other countries could be called into question – referencing the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan – and to maintain the healthy status of Russia, sometimes certain measures just have to be taken.”

David said Ukraine had come a long way since its independence, but he observed some regions outside major cities that have been neglected in terms of investment: “Life outside of the cities isn’t what we are used to seeing in the west but that doesn’t take anything away from what is there. I had to remind myself that Ukraine was only established in 1991 and had to almost start from scratch after the collapse of the Soviet Union.”

Asked what he lasting impressions were of Russia and Ukraine, David said: “The people were by far my most memorable part of the trip. We often have this perception of Eastern Europeans being cold and stern but in reality, they were far from it. I remember to this day leaving St Peterburg in awe of the people I had met.”

David has travelled to more than 150 countries around the world and over the next five years he aims to complete a full house, becoming the first person born in NI to ever do so.

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