'Ready to die': Kennedy heir and Taylor Swift's ex-BF Conor Kennedy reveals he's fighting for Ukraine
Robert F Kennedy Jr's son Conor Kennedy, who had a brief relationship with Taylor Swift as a teenager, has been secretly fighting against Russia in Ukraine. The Kennedy heir claims that because of his passionate involvement in the fight, he was "ready to die there." However, he has safely returned home and is now talking about his experience.
On October 14, 28-year-old Kennedy posted a picture of his friend dressed in army gear with a lengthy but powerful statement. He wrote, "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." Kennedy, the grandson of Senator Robert F Kennedy, fought covertly, telling just one American that he was going to fight for Ukraine and one person on the ground abroad his real name.
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"I 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. I was also willing to die there. So they soon agreed to send me to the northeastern front," Kennedy clarifies in his statement on social media.
Kennedy continued, without stating how long he was in Ukraine, "My time in Ukraine wasn't long but I 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."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy established the International Legion in February and enlisted foreigners in the fight against Russia. A TIME report claimed that 20,000 individuals from 52 nations registered in less than a week.
In his post, Kennedy urged readers to join the International Legion, assist at the border, or provide humanitarian aid. "This war will shape the fate of democracy in this century. Every day, someone there sacrifices everything for a lasting peace. They can't be asked to act alone," he wrote.
Kennedy praised both his fellow soldiers and the Ukrainian civilians, having given up the privileged lifestyle of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, and the Hamptons for the front lines. He wrote, "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. 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 wrote.
Taylor Swift and Kennedy's relationship and visits to his family's Cape Cod estate made headlines in 2012. At the time, Swift was 20 and Kennedy was 19. Reports claim that he inspired the song 'Begin Again' from Swift's album 'Red'. Page Six reported that the charming Kennedy child recently started dating Brazilian singer Giulia Be. He was previously associated with Ava Dash, Damon Dash's daughter.