Interview with Vlada and Sofie about the Russian-Ukraine war
At 24th February 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine. Putin believed he needed to attack Ukraine, because he felt treated by the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Many people around the world are anti-Putin, because of his actions. Russia is trying to put the Western countries like the US in bad positions by framing them that they are the cause of the war. But it was all along, Putin. According to Vlada: "Putin is not going to use nuclear weapons, it is just his way to threaten people." Vlada is also saying that Putin is not the only person who make the decisions to use atomic bombs. It is a group of people who are controlling this.
Because of the Russian-Ukraine war a lot of people are anti-Russia. Russia was ruled out with some sport events like the World Cup Football 2022 play-offs for Qatar, and it might be ruled out for the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris. According to Vlada: "We will never be part of Russia, hopefully we will be part of the EU and NATO in the near future." According to Sofie: "People would rather die than being part of Russia." So it is never going to be the same anymore. Ukraine is not going to turn themselves in.
The Ukraine passport is at the 30th place in the rankings of best passports in 2023. That means that Ukrainians can travel to 146 countries without a visa. Vlada: "For me it was not hard to adapt to the new situation in Australia. I mean, I miss my family and friends. I am used to this, I am actually studying in Vienna, Austria." Vlada tried to apply for a visa to travel in New Zealand, but her request was denied. In New Zealand they thought she was a refugee, but she was not.
On the left side is Vlada, and on the right side is Sofie. They are both in their early twenties and are currently participating in an exchange program at Monash University situated in Melbourne, Australia. Both Vlada and Sofie were born in Ukraine and are studying in Vienna, Austria. They are holding the flag of Ukraine. The blue color should be the sky and the yellow color is representing the endless fields of wheat. The flag is symbol of national pride and unity. Every year since 1991, August 23 the country is celebrating the Day of the National Flag.
These are the conditions of Sofie's grandparents under the Russian occupation. According to Vlada: "I did not want to believe there was a war. A couple of days before the war I realized it was real. I saw Russian troops on the border. The day that the war started, my mother called me at six o'clock in the morning and she said, 'they are bombing us'". According to Sofie: "It was horrifying, I woke to a flood of messages. My grandparents were under occupation, my parents could not leave the capital and my godmother could also not escape."
These are the conditions of Sofie's grandparents under the Russian occupation. According to Sofie: "The first few weeks, I was not if my parents will make it, because Russia was bombing like every hour. My grandparents were under occupation and they did not contact me for more than 24 hours, and I already thought they were dead. But they managed to escape because of green corridors" Sofie is saying that there were a lot of dead neighbours. She does not want to continue this subtopic, it is traumatizing for her.
Here are the names and dates of birth to help identify their bodies if found by Russians. According to Vlada: Although we would like to be optimistic, we must be realistic about the possibility the war is likely to last for many years. Although there are sections opposing Russia, they are not effective. Iran is using a large number of killing drones and China and North Korea are providing supplies. However, Russia is still supplying gas to countries like India.” Vlada also notes that Russia has its own production and is not concerned about the number of casualties.
United24 is a website where you can donate money to support Ukraine. After the war, Ukraine needs to be rebuilt from scratch. According to Vlada: "We are afraid the Western countries like the US and Europe going to stop supporting Ukraine after a certain point.We will still fight, but the chances of all of us dying would be higher. When Russia is weak, Ukraine has a greater chance of winning. According to Sofie: "It is a privilege to not care what's going on with the war." Sofie is exhausted of all this information.
Sofie is feeling overwhelmed by the constant news updates about the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict. As her phone is registered in Ukraine, she receives alerts whenever there is an attack. To avoid disturbance during her night hours in Australia, she has to switch off her phone. According to Sofie: "I hate the military industry, but my nation needs to have military support." According to Vlada: "I will return to Ukraine to visit my family, but I won't live there if it's still dangerous due to war." Vlada would consider living in Ukraine again if it is safe and stable.
Vlada is not sure if she is helpful enough to built up the country again. Sofie is not skilled enough to be in the military. But she can be helpful after her studies, because she is doing at the moment political science. She can play a vital role in the peace building process within the international community. According to Sofie: "What Russia has done, it is going to be trauma for generations, like for the Jewish people with Nazi Germany." According to Vlada: "I hope this will be a long-term commitment. We must learn from history, as Ukraine existed long before Russia." Vlada thinks Ukraine should never be in good terms with Russia.
