'I pray for this to end peacefully': Ukrainian Canadians on edge
Volodymyr Vorobets has immense worries on his shoulders.
The London, Ont. resident, who grew up in Ukraine, fears rising tensions between his homeland and Russia may draw his nephew into a war.
“My oldest brother has a 24-year-old son that could be drawn at any time to go and fight, so they are, of course, worried.”
Vorobets, the president of the London Ukrainian Centre, says the city’s large Ukrainian community is on edge.
“We are extremely concerned and worried about of friends, families and fellow Ukrainians.”
While Russia denies it is planning an invasion, Vorobets says if one comes, Ukrainians are ready to resist.
“Ukraine will fight back. They are ready to fight and will fight with whatever they've got. People are ready to fight with sticks and stones if that happens.”
Erika Simpson, an associate professor and NATO researcher at Western University, concurs.
“You do not want to get into a long-term guerrilla war against Ukrainian resisters, 'cause Ukrainians are going to resist. It would be a bloody war, and it would be long.”
Simpson does not believe war is imminent, even though she calls the situation a “crisis."
She argues Russian President Vladimir Putin is posturing, for now.
“I don’t think there will be a land war, nor an attack by Russia. If there was, it would be in August or September, not in the winter.”
That, Simpson says, leaves at least six months for a possible diplomatic solution.
Still, she worries about an 'accidental war,' saying, “If we start sending more troops and more and more equipment, like the Baltic countries are doing, then maybe we’ll get a war by escalation, accidental escalation.”
Vorobets shares the same fears as he hopes for a resolution that ensures ensuring the safety of all.
“I pray for this to end peacefully...I truly hope that common sense and humanity will prevail and we will survive this. If something goes bad there, the whole world will be affected.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.