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Monday, February 3, 2025

Ukrainian Student Speaks Out on Ongoing War

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Ukraine

On February 24, Russian troops stormed across their western border and invaded Ukraine. This act of aggression by Russia has been widely condemned by the international community, especially the member nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

President Joe Biden has imposed heavy sanctions on Russia in order to damage their economy, and more and more Americans have begun to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. As the conflict rages on halfway across the world, its ripples are felt all the way in Farmville, Virginia. 

Alex Whitford is a Junior at Longwood who was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine but was adopted by an American family as a baby. Whitford shared his thoughts on hearing that his home country had been invaded.

 “I sent my friends that I have over there a text, making sure they were okay. Thank God they were in Slovakia at the time.” Whitford added that he hopes to meet his mother one day and see Kharkiv again. 

Since the invasion began, the Ukrainian military has put up stiff resistance and has stopped Russia from conquering its major cities. According to data gathered by CNN, Russia has about 900,000 active-duty military personnel, while Ukraine has 196,000. It also states that Russia spends $45.8 billion in U.S. dollars on its defense budget, while Ukraine only spends $4.7 billion. 

Whitford went on to talk about Ukraine’s resistance to the invasion. “I think they are doing amazing.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has personally joined the fight against Russia along with many other Ukrainian government officials. Whitford gave his opinion on seeing the country’s president enter the fight. “President Zelenskyy is just unbelievable.”

Despite condemnation and sanctions from the multiple NATO members, Russian President Vladimir Putin has remained steadfast in his invasion of Ukraine. Whitford talked about what kind of man he thinks Putin is. “The red part of the Russian flag is meant to symbolize love, caring, and respect, and he hasn’t shown any.” 

Whitford briefly mentioned that the war has not been widely popular in Russia. Russian civilians are being arrested for speaking out against the war. According to NPR, nearly 5,000 civilians were arrested in a single day on March 7. According to Business Insider, over 200 domains have been blocked in Russia. Whitford added, “In America, when we speak our own mind, we have free speech. You are legally allowed to say what you want. In Russia, that’s a federal crime.” 

While many in the U.S. have shown support for Ukraine, some have not and even gone as far as to support Russia. In a video clip published on The Republican Accountability Project Twitter page, U.S. Representative Madison Cawthorn says “Remember that Zelenskyy is a thug. Remember the Ukrainian government is incredibly corrupt and is incredibly evil.”  

Whitford shared his thoughts on the American public figures who have voiced support for Russia over Ukraine. “It’s all about your opinion, what you think is right. For me, Ukraine is my country. That’s where I’m from, and I want to protect it. Those that don’t have that bond with Ukraine might think differently. As much as I don’t agree with that, that’s their side and that’s what they want to do.” 

 

Whitford said that he hopes to go back to Ukraine one day. “At the end of this, will I ever be able to go back over there and see what my country used to be? And I hope I do.”

 Whitford then talked about how he believes this conflict will end. “Hopefully, Ukraine and Russia with their talks, are able to come to an agreement. If all he [Putin] asks is to take part of Ukraine, I really don’t want that, but if it stops the war, I would think about it. I think it’s going to end with Putin deciding what to do, or being deceased, which nobody wants at all.”