In the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine, many citizens have been evacuated on the government’s recommendation.
“Calm within the concern” is the state of mind of several Latin American residents in Ukraine interviewed by BBC Mundo.
They live in the country that keeps the world on edge due to the possible invasion of Russia, although they see a large-scale conflict as something distant and hope that the situation will be resolved through diplomatic channels.
“I don’t think there will be an escalation, that between Putin bombing and destroying everything. That would be the Third World War,” Cuban José Luis Fernández tells BBC Mundo from Kiev, the Ukrainian capital.
The relationship between Ukraine and Russia is experiencing hours of maximum tension since Putin on Monday recognized the independence of the rebel regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine, and authorized the sending of troops to “keep the peace”.
The West and Ukraine understand that the decision of Putin may be the prelude to an invasion and for this they have reacted by imposing harsh economic sanctions once morest Russia.
“All life tied to this place”
José Luis Fernández has been in Ukraine since 1988.
His eyes are used to the chaos of the former Soviet republics. He has witnessed the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the independence of Ukraine, and the conflict with Russia since the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
José Luis Fernández has been in Ukraine since 1988.
He acknowledges that the situation today, at least on the streets of Kiev, is normal.
“We even have friends in the hot zones, in Mariúpol and in Luhansk, and they say that everything is calm there too,” he tells BBC Mundo.
But in the midst of the quiet, he can’t help but feel worried.
“We have our whole life tied to this place. We work here, we study, I have my family and my children. I pray that everything reaches an agreement and they manage to understand each other. We hope that everything will calm down.”
trying to stay calm
For his part, Arturo Condori Romero, a Peruvian who has been living in Ukraine for 20 years, admits that the country is experiencing days of “a lot of tension”, but partly attributes it to “the information that comes from all sides and that generates concern”.
Peruvian Arturo Condori Romero has been in the country for 20 years and works closely with the Peruvian community.
Until regarding five days ago, he says, it was quite normal on the streets of Kiev, the city where he lives and works. Although he adds that people try to remain calm and act with a cool head.
“It is still early to see the consequences of Putin’s latest actions,” he says.
Silvia Cristina Mercado, a Mexican engineer, who has been living in Kharkiv for seven years, the second largest city in Ukraine, located in the northeast of the country, thinks similarly.
Mercado is surprised when from his country he is asked if there is a shortage and if people have panicked, since he assures that, at least in his city, everything continues normally.
“Everything is very quiet here, very calm. Until yesterday I was still walking with my daughter. Street activities are normal. People work, children play in the parks, you don’t feel a tense situation,” Mercado tells him. to BBC World.
However, the tranquility to which Mercado refers might be in danger with the latest events of the crisis.
Putin recognized the independence of the rebel regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, in eastern Ukraine, and authorized the sending of troops to “keep the peace”.
Putin’s recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk, two pro-Russian regions in eastern Ukraine, has been the culmination of tensions accumulated over several weeks.
Russia had already deployed more than 190,000 soldiers to the borders with Ukraine, while the United States and its European and NATO allies have been offering material and diplomatic support to Kiev in the face of what they have described as an “imminent threat” to its territorial integrity. .
This Tuesday, USA and European Union imposed sanctions on Russian banks, companies and politicians. Germany announced the cancellation of the approval of the controversial Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline linking Russia with Germany.
The West fears that the recognition of the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk will now serve as a pretext for Russia to invade both territories, with the excuse of defending the Russophone population.
A few hours following Putin’s statement, Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, said he “is not afraid of anything or anyone.”
prepared
Despite the “calmness” with which they have tried to live in recent days, and even believing that the international press has exaggerated the situation in Ukraine, the Latin Americans interviewed by BBC Mundo have imagined the worst scenario: a conflict a large scale that puts your safety at risk.
Latin Americans in Ukraine live with tensions calmly.
Arturo Romero works with the Peruvian cultural center and the Spanish teaching club of the Nazca school. He has contacts with several Latin Americans of other nationalities. He explains that there are differences between how his acquaintances are experiencing the conflict.
“The old ones, who know the country well and have past experiences, are not very affected. The last ones who have arrived – some Colombians, Ecuadorians, Argentines and Mexicans – are more affected because for them this is totally new,” says Condori.
“Many have called me desperately saying that they want to go back right nowto guide them and help them to leave the country urgently,” he adds.
Condori says that, in any case, he and another group of Peruvians have already evaluated up to three contingency plans in case an armed conflict breaks out.
If things get worse, “we will have to find a way out of the country,” Romero says, although if everything continues at the “diplomatic and media level,” he prefers to stay and continue helping in whatever is required.
Silvia Mercado, although she insists that she is “calm”, also plans to “go to Mexico if things get more difficult.”
Silvia Mercado is Mexican and has been living in the city of Kharkov, in northeastern Ukraine, for seven years.
For now, he says, he tries to calm down with a Mexican acquaintance.
Both are married to Ukrainians and every piece of information or rumor they hear is contrasted with their husbands.
“But just yesterday I was with an Ecuadorian family and they are a little more nervous. They want to go to a city further south or to another country,” she says.
“Other Mexicans, with expenses covered by the embassy, have also requested to move and some are already in Mexico. But some have decided to stay and continue with their lives. There is everything,” he adds.
Silvia Mercado assures that since she arrived in Kharkov seven years ago, she loved it.
Links with Ukraine
The years that Romero, Fernández and Mercado have spent in Ukraine have marked them enough to create a special bond with the country that welcomes them.
They were not born there, but they understand many of the Ukrainians’ frustrations and aspirations.
“Ukrainians have been beaten so many times in their history that they have learned and are learning to defend themselves. distrust everything. The international community says it will support them, but the Ukrainians don’t see anything tangible,” says Romero.
The Peruvian criticizes that, despite the fact that the West and the United States condemn Putin’s actions, many governments quickly withdrew their diplomats and asked their citizens to leave the country.
Fernández, on the other hand, thinks that there is a lot of hypocrisy and that no agreement can be reached that way.
Therefore applauds the arrival of sanctions once morest Russia. “Europe must close ranks. If not, it’s almost better to let Putin do what he wants,” he says.
