Canadian issues

More than two years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing war in the country’s east has been making significantly fewer appearances in Western media.  At a time when the war on Europe’s doorstep seems to be fading from public consciousness, fighting has actually been intensifying, throwing the Minsk peace talks further into irrelevancy.

Despite these trends diaspora organizations in Canada continue to raise money to support the Ukrainian army and its volunteers.  One such organization is the League of Ukrainian Canadians (LUC) and its fund, Friends of the Ukrainian Defense Forces (FUDF).  Since its establishment in April 2014, the fund has raised over $870,000, of which over $700,000 was sent to Ukraine by April 2016. 

At a July town hall meeting at the Old Mill, Natalia Popovych, a member of the Fund’s board of directors, reported on FUDF’s fundraising activities, as well as how the money has been spent.  As an example, in addition to individual donations, efforts such as garage sales organized by the League of Ukrainian Canadian Women (LUCW) raised $10,000.  To date the funds have been used to purchase humanitarian aid such as cars, medical equipment, uniforms, and ambulances. 

One of FUDF’s biggest partners in Ukraine is the volunteer network Vilni Liudy (“Free People”).  Its head coordinator, Serhii Kuzan, was also on hand to report on his organization’s cooperation with FUDF, a partnership in existence for over two years now.  His presentation, complete with recent pictures and raw video footage from the front lines, emphasized how the partnership helps to ensure that humanitarian aid gets to Ukrainian soldiers who are defending the Ukrainian state from Russian aggression.  “We work only with battalions who are currently on the front,” he said, “and this aid not only brings incredibly important material aid, but moral help as well.”  

“Your help really moves the hearts of the soldiers at the front,” he added, “[and] this help does the most to build the ties and bonds between the diaspora and Ukrainians in Ukraine.”

As a witness to and participant of military events in Ukraine’s east, Kuzan spoke about the current situation on the Ukrainian-Russian front, about priority needs of the Ukrainian soldiers, and reported on the aid given by the FUDF fund since the start of the war.

“The picture that is sometimes painted is of soldiers who are demoralized, drunk.  This is not true, it’s quite the opposite – morale is high and they are ready to fight,” said Kuzan.

“Russia is waging against us a hybrid war; they are using terrorist tactics to attack the territory of Ukraine.  [It] is trying to, as quickly as possible, to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table with terrorists,” he continued.  “For example, every time there is an increase in shootings and [Ukrainian] fatalities, the [Russian] fifth column mobilizes and starts organizing rallies, demonstrations, and conferences, all calling for ‘peace.’  But [the question is], on whose terms?”

“The Ukrainian diaspora is now also being targeted by Russian propagandists,” Kuzan warned, “[they] will try to divide the diaspora because they understand that it is a powerful force which does not give in to Russian propaganda.” 

“The main thing is that the Ukrainian diaspora community stays together, against all Russian propaganda and disinformation.”

According to Kuzan, since the beginning of the Anti-Terrorist Operation in Ukraine, over 2,863 Ukrainian personnel have died, and over 10,000 have been injured.  With the situation on the front heating to levels unseen in over a year, these numbers are only set to climb.  According to data from the United Nations, there were 73 war-related civilian deaths in July, the highest monthly civilian death toll since August 2015.  57 percent of those casualties were caused by “mortar fire, canons, howitzers, and tanks,” all weapons banned under the Minsk agreements.

Both the Ukrainian government and Russian separatist forces are preparing for an escalation in fighting.  Poroshenko has put his forces on high alert and has deployed special forces and experienced battalions to the front.  For its part Russia has amassed large amounts of military personnel and equipment in illegally-annexed Crimea in response to an alleged, but unproven, Ukrainian terror plot there.

With the threat of a return to full-out war in Ukraine, coupled with American presidential election campaigns which have featured the growing dangers of Putin’s Russia, perhaps Western interest in Ukraine will once again reignite.  In the meantime, however, it is people like Kuzan and diaspora initiatives such as the FUDF that will continue to support, both materially and morally, the forces fending off the Russian menace on Europe’s doorstep.