Ashwin Narra
Staff Writer
According to the UN, 4 million Ukrainian refugees over the last month are on the quest for a new life after fleeing from Russia — a life which will be scarred and affected by Russia President Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine and displace many innocent families from their homes. Of the refugees and 7 million residents displaced from their homes, 90% of them are women and children under the age of 16.
The conflict is causing Ukrainians to flee to other countries. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and many other European countries are welcoming Ukrainian refugees and assisting with the crisis; one that has proved so far as one of the most terrifying humanitarian crises of the century thus far.
According to Vox, the countries of Europe that are assisting with the crisis have joined forces to set up 31 border checkpoints on the west border of Ukraine. Three of these countries, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, fall in the top six countries in Europe that are against immigrants settling in their country. Despite this, they continue to help Ukrainian refugees and give them aid. Countries in Europe are simply open to helping as this decision by Putin is impacting the world’s economy and disrupting many business ventures for governments. Europe is joining as one force to help Ukraine and is a colossal factor why the country is not losing more and more innocent civilians.
According to the New York Times, most residents of Ukraine have been battling disputes with Russia over multiple military issues since 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. In 2013, Ukraine’s government sided with the rest of Europe, rather than Russia, on a trade agreement. This decision sparked many protests and public frustration within Russia. In response, Putin claimed that “Ukrainians and Russia are one people.” As a repercussion, Russia sent their military to Crimea, an area in Southern Ukraine that has resulted in almost fourteen thousand deaths and a million refugees over the last eight years. Putin has long been focused on reinserting Ukraine into the Russian Federation.
Many celebrities and well known figures across the world such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Reynolds, and Queen Elizabeth have donated millions of dollars to the refugee crisis which has helped the country of Ukraine fight the war with some aid. According to Time Magazine, cryptocurrency donations across the world have toppled $70 million. The world has seemingly come together to resolve this horrid situation but time will only tell when this crisis will come to a close.
