Before the national team arrived in Belfast, the UAF received a letter from Iris McCleery of Northern Ireland. She made an extremely personal request and shared the story of her compatriot, Lee Johnston.

Lee went to Ukraine to defend it against Russian aggression. He was killed, and his body has not yet been found.

During a previous match between Ukraine and Northern Ireland, Ukrainian fans unfurled a banner in honor of Lee on the stands. This gesture initiated correspondence. Iris wanted her mother, Dolores, to meet with the Ukrainian team and people from the country for which her son gave his life.

We could not leave this request unanswered.

On November 13, Dolores came to the hotel where Ukraine's national team was staying. The players and coaching staff communicated with her, thanked her for her son, and expressed words of support. In memory of this, the team gifted her a national team jersey signed by all the players.

In moments like these, it's hard to find the right words. No jersey, no signature, and no meeting can bring back a person. But we can remember and be grateful.

Thank you, Lee. We remember.

And we thank everyone who stood up to defend Ukraine: our soldiers and volunteers from around the world who stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukrainians defending our freedom. We remember each one who gave their life for it.