For some, the war in Ukraine feels distant and out of reach.
But for Mariya Dzhyoyeva and Roman Bohdan, the situation is personal.
Dzhyoyeva, an assistant professor of Modern Language at Ferrum College, hails from Ukraine. And Bhodan, an assistant professor of Business at Ferrum, is from Crimea. The two participated in an Inquiring Minds panel discussion held February 28, 2022, on campus about the Russian invasion in Ukraine. They were joined by Michael Hancock-Parmer, an assistant professor of History.
“I think I speak for all of us in that what we want you to see is that it is a very nuanced, complicated situation,” Hancock-Parmer said. “On the simple side, the human cost requires our compassion—the loss of life, the invasion of a sovereign state. But at the same time, as I kind of warn my students, it can be too easy to go looking for heroes and villains, to sort of put up flags or statues.”
The panel discussed many topics, including the subject of timing and why this conflict is happening now, as opposed to occurring earlier.
“For me personally, this invasion hasn’t started five days ago. It started eight years ago… since or even before 2014,” Dzhyoyeva said. “They realized that Ukraine would not back away from it (being independent), so it was just a question not of if (Russia would invade), but a question of when.”
Bohdan agreed the invasion had been ongoing and added that the attitude of some Ukrainians toward Russia has changed. “It’s not an easy process,” he said. “It’s all Ukrainian spirit. And the majority of the political leaders–they have become nationalists, and it’s very difficult to conquer them. That’s why we still have independent Ukraine up to this point. Otherwise, it would be very quick, a very quick reunion. But it’s all lasted since probably 2004.”
Bohdan believes much of the resistance stems from the fact that Russia is dealing with deep internal issues, and Ukrainians–even former supporters of a Russian union–now want no part of a reunification.
“I guess now people more realize that they don’t want Russia because Russia has its own problems… Because in Russia there is totalitarianism… So if they go to protest, they will be arrested. They will get criminal records,” he said.
Bohdan also said some people were more nostalgic about Russia, especially those from the eastern part of the country. Many of those people no longer feel that way, he said.
“(They) might have wanted to be closer or to be reunited, but now they’ve changed their minds because Russia has its own political issues. And some even realize that the current president is losing reality,” Bohdan said.
Members of the audience also wanted to know the panel’s thoughts on NATO support for Ukraine.
“This is very difficult to provide an exact answer, but I can say that there is never enough,” Bohdan said. “The war is ongoing, and the fight is the Ukraine’s fight, so they need as much as possible—a lot of supplies and ammunition.”
Dzhyoyeva expressed concern over whether NATO support would heighten tensions. “As a Ukrainian Canadian, I am very proud of what Canada has done for Ukraine so far in terms of military and military aid,” she said. “Now should they go further? I don’t know. Because they do realize how fragile the situation is. And we don’t know if going further would cause something that gets completely out of control…”
Another topic raised was the Ukrainian response to the invasion and people defending their homes and homeland.
“I’m proud, but at the same time, I’m embarrassed and angry,” Dzhyoyeva related. “When I go to social media and read what the people of Crimea post there, it is a stark contrast with Poland, with Bulgaria, with Hungary that are now receiving Ukrainians as fugitives. And that level of humanity is an exact opposite of what you see in Crimea…The sentiment there is not like the rest of Ukraine… There is a very significant sector of population that genuinely supports Russia.”
Bohdan explained his amazement at the nationalistic spirit of the Ukrainian people. “There is a group where local people post videos, how they fight. And I’m watching, and I’m just very proud, because some people, just by their bare hands, fight the armed Russians,” he said.
Remarks were also made about the cost of the war, both financially and otherwise. Bohdan argued that this is no mere invasion—no matter how it is portrayed. “That’s a war, and it’s (been) a war since 2014, because Russia annexed Crimea. Crimea is part of an independent country… So that’s not a crisis. That’s a war. It’s (a) real war,” he stated.
Hancock-Parmer went on to discuss the various sanctions and the effects they may or may not have on Russia. He believes Russian President Vladimir Putin is confident in his country’s ability to weather these effects.
“The narrative is that he is prepared for the sanctions. He is saying, ‘Oh of course they are going to do this and this and this, but we can withstand all of this.’ One of the things he’s saying is, ‘We will be able to sustain our way of life without the West,’” he explained.
Regardless of the motive for war, both Russia and Ukraine are feeling the costs.
“The average Russian citizens are also paying the price,” Dzhyoyeva remarked. ”If you look at social media, people are talking about how ordinary people aren’t able to make payments or transactions and complaining about it…and then it’s been over 3,000 arrests over internal protests just in two days,” Dzhyoyeva remarked. “It’s amazing that people dare to protest like this.”
Hancock-Parmer agreed. “It’s amazing that it’s that high…because I don’t think they’re being handled politely,” he said. “I don’t think the situation is going to come into the brightest of focus, but at the same time, (we should do) anything we can do to build our understanding and build our concern and compassion for other people in the world who are going through hell at the moment.”
Article written and submitted by Marina J. Powell, assistant editor of The Iron Blade. Powell is a freshman majoring in music with an emphasis in performance. Powell’s article appeared on the front page of the March 4 edition of The Franklin News-Post.
