Article by Charles Lewis
For 11 years, Ukraine has been plagued by gut-wrenching war, which began in 2014 with Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and Donbas region. Then, in an act of vicious aggression, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022 with a massive number of armoured vehicles and troops. Part of the opening salvo was the indiscriminate bombing of cities, killing and maiming of civilian men, women, and children.
With its overwhelming “might”, Russia planned a quick end. Then, Ukraine surprised its allies and Putin’s cronies. It garnered enormous support from allied governments, the Ukrainian diaspora, and ordinary people with no ties to Ukraine who believed in justice. A lot of that aid has come from everyday Canadians, whose values align with those of the Ukrainian people.
But now, the future of that aid is in doubt. With the new administration of the US government, too many people falsely assume that the war is about to end. That is a mistake. The United States, Canada’s neighbour and closest ally that has been a great supplier of much-needed aid to Ukraine, has turned its back on Ukraine for reasons hard to comprehend. Attacks on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the country he governs have shocked freedom-loving people everywhere. Putin denies the Holodomor, the man-made famine by Stalin’s regime that killed millions of Ukrainians, ever happened, while the United States officials court this view, claiming that Zelensky is a dictator, hated by his people, and pushing the preposterous lie that Ukraine started the war.
Even worse, a few weeks ago Americans reached out to Russia to hold peace talks without including Ukraine and Europeans, demanding that Ukrainians surrender territory violently seized by Russian invaders with an implicit “or else.” United States officials seem unconcerned that Russia is untrustworthy, having continually broken promises regarding Ukraine. If Ukraine is forced to concede some of its territory, then Putin will take it as a green light to invade again. History has shown time after time that one should not appease tyrants.
But hope remains—the inner strength that burns in the hearts of Ukrainians who refuse to quit. Their courage is unfathomable. Just look at who the men and women defending Ukraine. The New York Times just published a moving story about how many of the wounded are returning to the front. Many of these are soldiers who have lost limbs. Some are adapting to doing their duty with a prosthesis.
“A soldier who goes by Hulk lost his lower right leg in combat, and now he commands a drone unit.”
“Doctors advised another soldier by the name Hammer, who stepped on a mine and lost part of his foot, to get a full amputation. He refused. His prosthesis, a dated model, is uncomfortable. But ‘for now, I’m coping,’ he said. ‘Even if they tear off all my legs and arms, I will do my best.’”
There are many others, including double amputees. One photo that ran recently showed a soldier who lost both arms carrying a machine gun. To say these people are awe-inspiring is an understatement.
To the amazement of the free world, Ukraine has fought back like brave warriors. Instead of folding in a few days, Ukraine has refused to cave. According to the Government of Ukraine, Russia has lost about 882,950 troops and thousands of armoured vehicles — many abandoned as crews fled for their lives while besieged by Ukrainian fighters. Russia has become so desperate that it has imported North Korean soldiers, an experiment that has been a failure.
Ukraine, too, has paid a huge price in blood and physical destruction. Some sources claim that nearly 46,000 soldiers died. It has also seen the destruction of cities bombed indiscriminately by Russia to break the spirit of the population. The UN has said more than 12,300 civilians have been killed, including 650 children. The worst thing we can do is give up on Ukraine. No one should be led to believe that peace will arrive anytime soon. Ukraine will need our support for a considerable time to come.
The best way to support Ukraine is by donating to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, which has provided humanitarian aid on Canadians’ behalf since 1995. Just three weeks before the full-scale invasion, they launched their CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which has delivered over 95 million dollars’ worth of humanitarian aid to Ukraine since February 2022. By donating today, you contribute to initiatives supporting mental health, veterans’ rehabilitation, and urgent humanitarian needs in Ukraine.
Ukrainians need us, fellow Canadians. Let’s transform compassion into action and keep standing with Ukraine.
Background
CUF-UCC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal has been established jointly by the Canada-Ukraine Foundation (CUF) and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) to formalize a coordinated approach in providing humanitarian assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia. The main efforts of cooperation are to provide humanitarian relief in the areas of assistance to displaced persons, medical care, emergency shelter and food security.
Charles Lewis is a veteran reporter and editor for such papers as the Ottawa Citizen and National Post. He flies a Ukrainian flag at his Toronto home in honour of his Ukrainian grandfather Joseph, who fled the Russians in the 1920s. Lewis is now retired and writes mainly for the Catholic press