Uncertainty abounds for Ukrainians in Calgary on anniversary of Russian invasion

Over 1.4 million Canadians of Ukrainian descent marked the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine with a series of cross-country rallies.

Hundreds of Calgarians gathered Sunday to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine amid uncertainty about continued U.S. support and fears the conflict could escalate, even as Canada signals it could send troops as part of a future ceasefire deal.

A rally organized by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) Calgary branch was held at city hall Sunday evening.

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Rally chair Anna Tselukhina said the day is not a celebration but a chance to remind the world the war continues and Ukraine still needs global support.

“This is not a holiday for us,” said Tselukhina. “This is just (a) time when we can honour the heroes who protect Ukraine now and who gave their lives. We want the voice of Ukraine to be heard as a call to justice, as a reminder that independence and freedom are worth fighting for.”

The Calgary event was part of a global day of action marking three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

According to the UCC, Ukraine has endured more than 60,000 hours of air raid alarms, nearly 10,000 missile strikes, 33,000 guided aerial bombs, and 25,000 drone attacks since the invasion began.

Sending Canadian troops ‘on the table’: Trudeau

In Kyiv on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking the invasion’s third anniversary by pledging continued Canadian support and announcing additional military and humanitarian aid.

Trudeau did not rule out deploying Canadian troops as part of a ceasefire agreement. When asked about possible Canadian soldiers on the ground, Trudeau said, “We will work with our neighbours on it, but everything is on the table.”

Pressed further, Trudeau added, “The first priority is to make sure that there is a ceasefire and that we set up the conditions for a lasting peace. Canada will be involved, but we’re not at that position yet.”

He described potential Canadian troop deployment as “something to take very, very seriously.”

Trudeau also confirmed Canada will follow through on its earlier promise to provide $5 billion in funding to Ukraine using revenues from frozen Russian assets.

Additional aid announced Monday includes 25 more light armoured vehicles, two armoured combat-support vehicles, four F-16 flight simulators and grants to help Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

“Canada will continue training Ukrainian troops so that Russia will not be allowed to end the world order that upheld sovereignty for many countries for decades,” Trudeau said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Canada, noting it was instrumental in providing training and advanced drone optics.

“Your people helped us at the very beginning of the war,” Zelenskyy said.

‘Russian disinformation’

Meanwhile, back in Calgary, Rev. Patrick Yamniuk from St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Orthodox Sobor said the invasion has significantly affected the Ukrainian community in the city. He estimates around 25,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Calgary since the war began, based on support activities provided by his church.

“Every Sunday we are praying for the living and the departed soldiers,” Yamniuk said. “It’s constantly in front of us—the war and the damage that it is doing to families.”

Calgarian Borys Sidoruk, who has family in occupied eastern Ukraine, said Ukrainians are troubled by recent statements from former U.S. president Donald Trump blaming Ukraine for starting the war.

Trump has suggested Ukraine should surrender territory and repay Western support with critical minerals.

“President Donald Trump just repeating almost word for word Russian disinformation, claiming Ukraine started the war, is absolutely insane,” Sidoruk said.

“When the United States was attacked on 9/11, NATO allies came to their aid, and no one said, ‘You’ve got to pay us back now.’ It’s really interesting that Donald Trump wants Ukraine to pay for the invasion of Russia.”

Snizhana Bora, a refugee who fled Kharkiv to Calgary with her husband and daughter, described the daily fear of living under constant threat of rocket attacks.

“It’s horrible how the world is still just sitting and watching that situation,” she said. “It breaks my heart every single day.”

Bora said she constantly worries about family members still in Ukraine, especially her father and brother, who are fighting in the war.

“Your life is like second by second, not minutes by minutes, because (the) next second you can die, and it’s still going on,” Bora said.

“They’re killing our future because children are (the) future. They’ve stolen our future, stolen hope.”

Now living in Calgary, Bora said her body is here, but her “heart and soul” remain in Ukraine.

“When I start talking about them, about war in Ukraine, it breaks everything inside me,” she said.

Bora also fears Trump’s rhetoric echoes Vladimir Putin’s justifications for war.

“What I’m seeing now is how Putin talked about Ukraine—Trump is doing the same,” she said. “Not just Canada, all the world should prepare for some big Third World War.”

Despite the growing geopolitical uncertainty, Trudeau reiterated Canada’s position that Ukraine must be directly involved in any negotiations to end the war.

“This is not a conflict Ukraine wanted, provoked or asked for,” Trudeau said Monday. “This is a war started for one reason and one reason only: Russia’s desire to erase Ukrainian history and expand their empire.”

The invasion remains Europe’s largest and deadliest conflict since the Second World War.