In the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, close to the border with Belarus, one of Sonia Mycak's family members is prepared to fight.
Sonia Mycak is pictured with her daughter and Ukrainian cousin in their ancestral village of Masheve.As Sonia Mycak watches the escalating crisis in Ukraine from Sydney, she says “anxiety has become anguish”.In the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, close to the border with Belarus, her cousin’s son is prepared to fight.
Also a research fellow with the Australian National University’s Centre for European Studies, she has been closely monitoring events in Ukraine for the past eight years. “The reality is today, Ukraine is a sovereign state, an independent nation. And we don't, we should not, be living in a world where a large aggressive neighbour can appropriate your territory at any time through brutal force,” she said.Ms Mycak said it’s now realistic to have fears for her family’s safety - and more widely for the people of Ukraine.
“Because in Ukraine, we’ve already had war for eight years. So there [has been] present Russian aggression for eight years, especially in the Donetsk region,” Ms Ursulenko told SBS News. “I think they’re determined to resist Russian aggression, and, let’s say, fight for Ukraine if needed or support the army in any way they could.”Prime Minister Scott Morrison echoed language used by Mr Biden as he announced sanctions on Wednesday, telling reporters “the invasion of Ukraine has effectively begun”.
“Sanctions need to be coordinated worldwide. And so I’m heartened to see that the Australian government has taken that seriously,” she said, adding sanctions must be immediate.
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