The crazy thing about the conflict in Ukraine is that no one could foresee it happening. It was unpredictable. Politically, there had always been a divide between the east and west, where the east was more pro-Russia, and the west, more pro-Europe, but it was never a source of violence.
What started out as a peaceful protest against the rejection of closer ties with the EU has now evolved into a violent clash between citizens of the same country.
Our
eldest nephew from Ukraine graduated from a military high school in eastern
Ukraine that is no longer functioning as a school. He heard that it’s now housing pro-Russian
rebel forces. Some of his family in the
city of Lugansk have been forced to flee their homes and business because of
their political connections to a pro-western political party. Others have been able to stay and now support
the rebels.
Some of the people we know in
Ukraine are surprised by the public support for the rebels in the region which
they control. It may stand to reason
that if your homes are shelled enough by the Ukrainian military, you will start
to form hostility towards the government.
There are also strong economic ties to Russia in this region that many
fear will be severed by signing an agreement with the EU.
But it’s
also been reported that the rebels have instituted a reign of terror in the
eastern region, where those who disagree with their exploits are quickly dealt
with. One million refugees have fled the
region, and those who are pro-Ukraine and still live there, are likely
remaining silent.
It’s
difficult to know the truth with the propaganda being pushed by both
sides. What is clear is that Putin is in
complete control of the Russian media, thereby holding control of the Russian public’s
mind. The view that the Ukrainian
government and Western forces are perpetuating this conflict is a reality to
most Russians.
Our
younger nephew had the misfortune of being sent to the front lines of the
conflict one month ago. The only way he
could afford his university education was to attend a military college, where after
he became obligated to serve in the military for five years. He’s in his first year of service after
graduating. At the time, there was no
way to foresee that he would ever be sent into a conflict zone.
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| Our youngest nephew in the trenches in Ukraine. |
For 45 days and nights, he spent his time in trenches,
guarding a position that should have not seen any gunfire since the signing of
a ceasefire agreement in September. As the Ukrainian government is short on funds, the soldiers had to rely on nearby residents to supply them with their meals.
During this time, he became well aware of the fact that they were not
fighting against some home-grown Ukrainian militia. They were fighting a well-supplied army with
considerable expertise, one that was certainly receiving support from Russia.
While we
were extremely relieved to have him home again, it remains uncertain whether he
will be sent back out to the front lines.
The conflict does not appear to be ending anytime soon.
The new
president of Ukraine finds himself in a very precarious position, pressured to push
back against the rebels and instigate peace at the same time. All of this while Ukraine’s economy continues
its downward trend, a fundamental problem that lay the groundwork for the
conflict to erupt in the first place.
We may
want Russia to suffer as well, here in the West, because of Putin’s exploits
and what he has taken already from Ukraine.
But in the end, like all conflicts that begin over a political clash in
views (this was about a trade agreement initially), the innocent will pay the
price. They have already.
Most
Ukrainians just want peace and to have a better life. But this conflict will affect
generations to come, whether peace is achieved in the near term or not.
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