February marks three years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which took place in 2022. Now, Salford looks inwards, at the current political discourse taking place around the fate of Ukraine, and what could happen to the future of the country.
According to President Zelensky, the death toll of Ukrainian soldiers now stands at 46,000, with U.N statistics stating the overall death toll at 148,359.
The devastation in this country has rippled across Europe, and in recent weeks, the relationship between Ukraine and some world leaders has stagnated.
On February 28, President Zelensky attended a summit at the Oval Office with President Trump, which ended in a social media post from the POTUS stating that President Zelensky ‘disrespected The United States Of America in its cherished oval office.’
The post comes after ceasefire discussions sparked an initial hope for Ukraine and its civilians, only for the discussions to exclude President Zelensky and the fate of his country.
Following the meeting between the leaders, Bob Sopel, Manchester branch representative for the Ukrainian Association said: “It’s frightening and unstable.”
Since the start of the war, Bob has helped welcome a total of 230 Ukrainians to Salford, through the Homes for Ukraine scheme – with his nephew, Roman Ostafichuk, serving on the frontline as a Ukrainian soldier.
Bob’s mother is Ukrainian, and he had been in Ukraine on holiday during the collapse of the USSR’s communist hold on the country. However, since the outbreak of he war and subsequent flight restrictions, it has meant that he has missed his own cousin’s funeral, who traced displaced Ukrainian people.
“This is not Hollywood, this is reality,” he continued.
Bob also volunteers with a Saturday school program, with a demand for classes tripling since the war in Ukraine began.
The origin of the invasion of Ukraine stems from a divide over Ukraine’s placement in the western world. Initially under the USSR’s communist bloc for 70 years, the collapse of the authoritarian regime led to Ukraine’s independence.
Now Ukraine is wanting to join NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, in the interest of national security – despite Russia maintaining their claim of ownership over the land.
“We’ve had a taste of independence, and we are fiercely proud of that,” Bob continued: “And if the allies back us up – then we can stop this.”
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