Abstract War in Ukraine is an opportunity for the EU to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine, not only through the supply of armaments and military support, but also through providing refuge to those fleeing war and helping them to continue with their lives to the greatest extent possible. It is also an opportune time for the EU to show solidarity with those fleeing war in Ukraine who are not nationals of that country: the over 76,000 foreign students from 155 countries who were studying in Ukraine at the time of the invasion. The majority of these came from India, Morocco and Nigeria, but large numbers also came from elsewhere in Africa and Asia, such as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Uganda. These students, who were stranded in Ukraine and are now stranded across Europe, were subjected to a ‘racialised refugee hierarchy’ (ODI) as they sought to leave Ukraine and enter other countries: border guards enacted a ‘Ukrainians first’ policy. In this paper, I suggest that this happened due to pan-European mis-education in the 21st century about the mis-adventures of 19th century European imperialism. The 200-year silencing of the latter has facilitated the perpetuation of a general environment of ignorance across Europe within which racism and xenophobia towards Black people can be embedded in institutions and enacted by individuals. I argue that solidarity in the EU needs to built across time and place. A de-colonial approach would recognize the many ways in which the peoples of the Global South have contributed to the construction of present-day European societies, for example through participation in European wars. It is to be hoped that a corrected understanding of the solidarity of the peoples of Africa, Asia and the Caribbean to Europeans will shift the public narrative so that there will be solidarity towards the peoples of these regions in their time of need from the peoples of Europe. As well as ensuring that African and Asian students fleeing war in Ukraine receive the help that they need, this would also refresh EU debates on the legal framework for refugees and asylum seekers.