Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of war.
In the early hours of the morning on February 24, people in Ukraine were awoken to the sound of explosions, gunfire, and alarms. Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation, had declared a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, which is his way of avoiding the word ‘war.’
But make no mistake: what happened and is still happening in Ukraine is war, in the purest definition of the word, and civilians are caught in the middle of it. With no warning, Ukrainians awoke to cities burning, the sky bright with the flashes of artillery fire, and the air thick with smoke. They had the bitter, crushing realization that their home was under attack, and that Putin not only wanted their physical land, but he also wanted to discredit their ethnic identity and independence from Russian culture.
History of the war
The current war in Ukraine isn’t new, or at least not as new as many media outlets are making it out to be. The war started in 2014, when Russia illegally annexed the Crimean Peninsula, which was first transferred to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic during Soviet times and officially remains part of independent Ukraine today despite its annexation. Russia also propped up separatist groups which occupied parts of the eastern Ukrainian oblasts, or districts, of Donetsk and Luhansk, which are collectively known as the Donbas region. After that point, and until recently, the war remained in a bitter stalemate, with no further advancement into Ukraine on Russia’s part.
Then, in 2021, Russia built up two major points of military power along the Ukraine-Russia border, prompting fear of another invasion of Ukraine — which ultimately occurred the next year, not just in the Donbas region but into the entirety of Ukraine, on February 24, 2022.
The cities of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, and Mariupol are all currently under attack by Russian troops from the sea, air, and ground. Further explosions have occurred in Odesa, Kramatorsk, Dnipro, Lutsk, and Ivano-Frankivsk.
Canada has one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora communities in the world, second only to Russia. A large Ukrainian-Canadian population calls the GTA their home. With their homeland and very identity under attack, the community — many of whom have family and friends residing in Ukraine — has understandably been shocked, devastated, and frightened about what the future holds. The situation is evolving so rapidly that even five minutes could mean a total upheaval of what little semblance of normalcy their lives still have.
The voices of the Toronto Ukrainian community
So how does the Ukrainian community in Toronto feel about this vicious attack?
Marta Perehinets, a first-year U of T student, said that her emotions “[have] ranged from terrified, to angry, to just depressed.” She fears for her family, since the majority of them live in Ukraine. Perehinets also has a cousin fighting in the Ukrainian military. “I wish that I could pull [him] out of the military, but… he wants to be there himself, which is very, very admirable.”
Anna Lysenko, a second-year U of T student, felt shock at first, followed by fear due to the lack of clarity in immediate media reports of the situation. “Troops coming into Ukraine… could mean that two soldiers came into Ukraine to check things out, or it could mean that I’ve woken up and Ukraine has been conquered,” Lysenko said.
Iryna Turchyn, a Ukrainian community member, said, “I cried [the day of the invasion] all day. I couldn’t go to work [and] couldn’t sleep. I was feeling very angry, just completely, that they’re trying to take my country.”
However, in addition to the anger and fear, many are taking great pride in their country and in those who are defending it. After the February 25 rally organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress at the Ukrainian Consulate in Etobicoke, Marina Soroka, a Ukrainian community member, said that she was “scared but also proud.”
Lysenko expressed her pride in Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is staying in Ukraine. He famously told the United States, “I need ammunition, not a ride.” Lysenko said that she has newfound respect for Zelenskyy, as she feels that he is “being a real leader.” “He’s clearly willing to die for his country… What more can you expect from a leader?” Lysenko said.
Although global support for Ukraine has been massive, many in the community have expressed frustration toward the so-called ‘Global West’ for their lack of military and defensive assistance both before and after the invasion. Turchyn said that the West can’t leave it at saying they support Ukraine: “They have to act right away.”
After the rally, Zoriana Didenko, whose family is still in Ukraine, said that “everyone is [saying], ‘We are supporting Ukraine,’ but Ukrainians are [fighting] alone.” She added that she believes the Russian threat is no longer just about Ukraine but about all of Europe. “Now, [Russia wants] Ukraine; tomorrow, they will want Poland; and the day after, they will want France and all [of the] European Union,” Didenko said.
Organizers of the event Friday called for a no-fly zone over Ukraine in order to protect not only troops fighting on the ground but also civilians and civilian buildings from being hit by Russian airstrikes. Perehinets said that the “number one” thing that the West needs to do is to ban all air traffic in Ukrainian airspace. “Ukraine can fight on the ground. We have very, very well-trained soldiers… but we can’t just make an invisible shield to prevent bombs from falling. They’re going to fall if air traffic is allowed.”
Lysenko doubts that Russia will be stopped by “anything less than a more active coalition of countries against the war.” Specifically, she said that the United States needs to take stronger action: “Americans have always prided themselves on drawing the red line [that] no one will cross. But now where is the red line?” She added, “[The invasion] spat in the face of sovereignty and the global order won’t be the same after this.”
Some community members also voiced concern for global stability following Russia’s invasion. “If Russia can invade Ukraine and the UN can do nothing about it, and America can do nothing about it, and the EU doesn’t do anything about it, then what kind of precedent does that set? China can invade Taiwan. And [it’s] even bigger than that. Like, why can’t America invade Canada? [They have] similar cultures, similar languages… It just sets such a horrible precedent for politics,” Lysenko said.
The West must act now before it’s too late
As a Ukrainian-American, I feel the pain that is felt by our community in Toronto and around the world. I am disappointed by the lack of direct military aid to Ukraine from Canada, the US, and the European Union.
I understand that sending troops would further provoke the situation. But, at the same time, Ukraine is fighting alone against a country with more manpower and stronger weapons. What kind of message does it send to the world that the US, a country that has long declared itself a preserver of democracy, is doing nothing to preserve democracy and is letting Russia invade its neighbour? It sends the type of message that there is nothing that will stop imperial-minded superpowers from exerting control over their independent neighbours.
I saw a news headline: the European Council President said that a no-fly zone over Ukraine was “one step too far.” But has Russia not already gone “one step too far”? Not only has it violated international law by invading its neighbour, but it has also bombed residential buildings, killed hundreds of innocent civilians and displaced at least a million people who have had to flee to Poland, and detained children in Moscow for bringing flowers to the Ukrainian Embassy. If that’s not “one step too far,” then what is?
We learned this lesson in the 1930s. Hitler was appeased time and time again — and look what he ended up doing. Just over a week into this all-out war, it looks as if history is shaping up to repeat itself. If Putin is not stopped hard and fast now, he will eventually wear out Ukraine’s brave defenders, and he won’t stop at controlling Kyiv. He’ll move on to Warsaw, and then Berlin, Prague, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.
The West cannot wait until Putin invades Poland to start fighting back. By then, it will be too late to prevent a global catastrophe. We need a no-fly zone over Ukraine this minute, and troops need to be dispatched immediately. For the sake of Ukrainians, Russians, and the entire world, the West needs to step up and stand up to Putin now.
Eden Zorne is a second-year European affairs, history, and Slavic languages student at Trinity College. She is an associate editor for the Trinity Times and a proud Ukrainian-American.
