Feb 16, 2022, 2:48 PM IST
Thiruvananthapuram: The world is watching the next move of Russian President Vladimir Putin. US President Joe Biden has strongly backed Ukraine. As the world fears it is on the verge of another major war, its impact is reflected in the stock markets. The embassy has asked the Indians to return. Dr Sailesh Prasad, a Malayalee who has been living in Kiev, Ukraine for the past 27 years, told Asianet News Online that Indians and students living in Ukraine are in a state of panic.
‘The news regarding the war is coming in big. A good section of Indians are students. More than 12,000 students are studying medicine and engineering. They have all been in awe for more than a week. All the foreigners are returning from here following the embassy asked them to go back. In two or three days, all Indians will start returning home, ‘said Dr. Sailesh, a native of Parippally, Kollam and head of Ukraine, a global pharma company called Hetero Labs. But he said the Ukrainian people were not afraid of Russia and that life was normal.
Indians in fear
‘If a shell hits, the current situation will change. But I am convinced that Russia can not put pressure on Ukraine in any way. But that is not the case with Indians. Most of the people here are from North India. There are over 500 Indians in our Indian community in Kiev alone. They are afraid. They will respond favorably to the embassy’s position that Indians should return. A good number of them do not want to wait until the situation gets worse, ”said Sailesh.
‘There are thousands of Indian students here, including from Kerala. There are many people who came to study engineering and medicine. Their number is regarding 12,000. The news in the international media has caused panic among them. The majority of Indians are students who come here to study. Kovid has no significant control here. Anyone with a PCR negative certificate can go to any foreign country. So there will be no major obstacle for any of them to go back, ”he said.
Ukraine without change from usual
“Ukraine is what it was before the uprising started, and the people here are still the same,” he said. They know Russia well. “Ukraine is not a people that Russia can intimidate,” he said. This Ukrainian Malayalee is not surprised that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who deployed troops on the icy border and went ahead with the impression of war once morest Ukraine, has recalled a section of the army.
“Ukraine’s economy is booming, with thermopower plants, atomic projects and ammonium plants dating back to Soviet times. Kiev alone has a population of over 40 million. Even the supermarket I went to yesterday evening to buy groceries was pretty busy. “People are not afraid of war,” said Sailesh.
The high level of fear globally has not affected the grassroots people. There are thousands of foreigners working here in the IT, pharma and chemical fields. They are all still going to work as usual. They are engaged in their regular pastimes. The problems between Ukraine and Russia are not the same today or yesterday. It is over a hundred years old. I have been here for the last 27 years following studying medicine. I know the Ukrainian people firsthand.
About Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe with a population of 40 million. 87% are Christians. One of the first independent countries to secede from the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia is far ahead of Ukraine in manpower and weapons. Ukraine has 11.5 million troops. Russia has three times as many troops. Ukraine has fighter jets 67. Russia owns 1531 state-of-the-art fighter jets. Russia is also at the forefront of tanks. Ukraine owns 13 small warships, while Russia owns 214.
It is noteworthy that Ukraine has repeatedly said that it lags far behind in military might. If Russia attacks us, it will not be just a Russia – Ukraine war. Russia-NATO war. Ukraine warns that NATO, the military alliance of 27 European countries, will come to its rescue. Ukraine cannot be seen as weak simply because its military strength is low.
Behind the war
Russia does not want Ukraine to become a European ally with NATO, Europe’s military ally. This is the reason for the war. Many countries that were once part of the Soviet Union are now part of NATO. NATO is a staunch supporter of the United States. Even following the Cold War, Russia insisted that NATO should not be present anywhere near its borders.