On March 3, University of Saskatchewan faculty, staff and students rallied on campus near the Lesya Ukrainka statue to demonstrate their support for Ukraine following the Russian invasion. 

With a constant threat to the safety of those in Ukraine, members of the Ukrainian USask community are concerned about the ongoing crisis. 

Nadya Foty-Oneschuk, a faculty member from the Prairie Centre for the Study of Ukrainian Heritage at St. Thomas More College and a speaker at the rally, urged people to continue helping Ukraine preserve its democracy.

“We have never been more fearful for our relatives, friends, colleagues and even former students who find themselves there,” said Foty-Oneschuk. “Our political leaders in Canada must do all that they can to stop Russia and those who are defending them.”

Ukraine shares its borders with member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an intergovernmental military alliance that was created in 1949 to deter communism expansion across Europe. If Ukraine were to join NATO, it would tamper with Russia’s plans to regain the territory, which it lost after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.

Since the conflict began in mid-February, over 1,000 civilian casualties have been reported in Ukraine and 1.7 million Ukrainian refugees have fled the country.

When asked in an interview with the Sheaf about ways to help Ukraine and its people, Foty-Oneschuk encouraged members of the USask community to send donations.  

“[We should] send aid to a population who is already experiencing a humanitarian crisis on an astronomical scale,” Foty-Oneschuk said. 

In addition to donations, Foty-Oneschuk said that staying informed on current events can help put pressure on Western governments to help Ukraine and prevent the spread of misinformation. 

“We must use our voice. We must keep this to the topic of conversation. We must continue to put pressure on our governments to do the right thing [and] share reliable information,” Foty-Oneschuk said. 

In particular, Foty-Oneschuk recommends two English language newspapers for staying informed, the Kyiv Post and the Kyiv Independent.

Despite the invasion and decades of Russian oppression, Foty-Oneschuk says that the Ukrainian people still hold their resilient national spirit. 

“This theme is as relevant as ever, and the unbreakable spirit of the Ukrainian people miraculously persists.”

Laura Senger, a second-year English major with Ukrainian heritage who attended the rally, told the Sheaf that the voices of the rally have been reassuring.

“I feel like my heart is glowing with all the people here,” Senger said. 

Foty-Oneschuk concluded her speech in the rally with a prayer. The rally concluded as attendees sang the Ukrainian national anthem. 

“Let us lift up our words in prayer so that Mr. Putin is stopped so that there may be peace and an end to the senseless bloodshed. So that Ukraine may recover and prosper in true freedom and sovereignty forevermore,” Foty-Oneschuk said.

“Glory to Ukraine, glory to its heroes, Slava Ukraini.”

—

Annie Lu | Staff Writer

Photo: @street__vision via Instagram