On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a “special military operation” in Ukraine, officially commencing a bloody and destructive war that has dramatically rocked the global stage.

Since then, 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens have been forced to flee the country to avoid Russian troops in one of the fastest human migrations in Europe since World War II. In the meantime, Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to continue his invasion of Ukraine unless the capital city of Kyiv surrenders to his nation’s military forces.

“Personally speaking, I’m heartbroken and angry because of the tragedy that’s occurring in Ukraine,” Niles North Principal Dr. Edwards said. “My hope would be that a lot of folks are informed about this horrible tragedy that has befallen the Ukrainian people. There are a number of Ukrainian organizations in the city of Chicago where students can find a way to support the people of Ukraine during this horrific tragedy.”

On March 1, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky accused Russia of war crimes for targeting civilians as videos showing the explosion of several Ukrainian buildings, including a large administrative building in the nation’s second largest city, Kharkiv, and several civilian apartment buildings have sent the world into a fury of rage and horror. According to the United Nations, over 2,000 Ukrainian citizens have been killed by the invasion thus far and thousands more remain injured.

“Politicians are trying to figure out how to best help Ukrainians without getting directly involved in the war, and that’s a challenge because we are watching this war happen in Europe,” Niles North Social Studies teacher Mrs. Pommerenke-Schnieder said. “I understand why Biden does not want to put our military directly in Ukraine because we’re going right up against a nuclear power, but that does not alleviate any of the sufferings of the Ukrainian people right now.”

In an effort to try and stop Putin’s administration, several nations in the West, including the US, the UK, Japan, and Canada, imposed economic sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, freezing their foreign assets and sending Russia’s economy into shambles. Russia has also been banned from competing in international competitions such as Eurovision, FIFA, and UEFA as a result of the Ukraine invasion.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky has made it clear that economic sanctions and bans from competing in international competitions have not been enough to stop Putin’s regime. The Ukrainian president has criticized Western leaders for failing to respond to the Russian Defense Ministry’s announcement that it would strike Ukraine’s military-industrial complex and urged for the West to hold those who have committed atrocities accountable for their actions.

“You can’t hide from this reality,” Zelensky said. “You can’t hide from the new killings in Ukraine.” 

The Ukrainian president has adamantly refused to concede to Russia’s demands not to join NATO or the European Union and recognize Crimea as Russian territory, vowing to remain loyal to the Ukrainian people by punishing those who committed atrocities on their land.

“We will not forgive the destroyed houses,” Zelensky said. “We will not forgive the shooting of unarmed people. We will not forgive. We will not forget.”