Saskatchewan’s Ukrainian community moved by Zelensky’s address

Ukrainians in Saskatchewan are behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan executive director Danylo Puderak watched Zelensky address Canada’s Parliament on Tuesday. Puderak felt the Ukrainian president was “absolutely right.”

“I really appreciated how he was reaching out to average Canadians and putting the tragedy that’s unfolding in Ukraine into a Canadian context,” Puderak said.

Knowing so many average Ukrainians are experiencing the horrors of watching their beloved cities being pummeled and destroyed by Russian bombardments, Puderak said he felt the address did a lot to help people better understand what was happening.

It also struck an emotional chord with Puderak.

“I had to recapture my thoughts and hold the tears back because it really made you think,” he said, calling the address “powerful.”

Pat Tymchatyn, the vice-president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ Saskatoon branch, heard Zelensky’s speech as an attempt to bring the horrific events in Ukraine home to Canadian parliamentarians.

“We can’t just keep saying that we stand with Ukraine and not do anything,” she said. “We are neighbours, we are good friends, but good friends actually have to stand up and do more.”

Tymchatyn said that is especially important considering the nature of the fight happening in Ukraine.

“This is not a fair fight. This is not one army against another, this is (Vladimir) Putin decimating the Ukrainian population,” Tymchatyn said, referring to the Russian president.

She said Putin is hoping to kill enough Ukrainians that the country will surrender.

“But Ukraine will never surrender,” she said. “We’ve been colonized by the Russians before and everybody knows what will happen if the Russians win this war.”

“It’s so difficult to be watching this. It’s like a war movie in slow motion,” Puderak added.

He said the world can see where this conflict is escalating to and yet it continues to stand and watch, offering supportive words and supplies but little in the way of tangible help.

Zelenksy’s message was one not just to Canada, Puderak said, but also to the United States and its European partners. Zelensky is to address American lawmakers on Wednesday.

“(It was aimed at) anyone that says and is always generous with words about how we are friends of Ukraine (and) how Ukrainians are part of our family,” Puderak explained.

“And yet when it comes to the hard decisions now — when we’re seeing the horrible displays of destruction taking place and we know that’s not enough — and when he’s asking for Western countries to provide the coverage to protect Ukrainian skies … this is where we’re stuck right now.”

Tymchatyn said she, like many others, is keeping in contact with friends and family she is connected to in Ukraine and doing what she can here to help. Fundraising, rallying and speaking with politicians are some of the ways she is doing that.

“This is not a fight only in Ukraine, this is a fight for democracy,” said Tymchatyn, who noted that if Canadians value their democracy, “we should all be standing up and doing something.”

Zelensky specifically requested a no-fly zone over Ukraine and further sanctions to stop funding for Russia’s war efforts.

Puderak noted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has referred to the thousands of Canadians who settled in Western Canada as key nation builders for the country.

He said Ukrainian roots run deep in Canada, and the connections stemming from this country to Ukraine are numerous. Further, Canada was the first Western country in 1991 to recognize Ukraine’s independence.

“The support Canada has had for Ukraine over the past 30-plus years has been great. And now, when Ukraine and Ukrainians are fighting for their lives … this is where we need to show this is just how sincere those words are,” Puderak said.

“How much more human suffering is it going to take before we realize that Vladimir Putin doesn’t give a darn about those people that live there, those women in the maternity hospitals or the senior citizens?”

In his final thought, Puderak said: “Canada and Ukraine’s western partners really need to stand up and guarantee the safety of Ukrainians by protecting Ukrainian skies.”