Local reaction to Ukraine events

Russia’s U.N. ambassador read a statement from fugitive Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych to the U.N. Security Council Monday. He believes Ukraine is on the brink of civil war. That threat has some Ukrainians living here in Hamilton saying Canada needs to step in and now.

Russia has seized control of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. The invasion has Olya Sheweli, the president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress here in Hamilton, calling for the west to act with more force. “I would actually like to see some physical positive armed forces. You don’t want war but Russia is acting with impunity; it knows the west isn’t going to interfere physically. It’s counting on taking over Crimea and then just letting it die away.”

So far, Canada and other countries have threatened to impose sanctions on Russia. Shewelia says that’s not enough. “Obama is empty words, Great Britain is empty words, and Russia will go on doing what it’s intended to do.”

The Canada Eurasia Russia business association was hoping to stay out of the conflict. Canadian businesses with a presence in Russia include Bombardier, Imax, and Blackberry. The association says Russia is a market where Canadian companies can grow. But Olya says Canada, which has a large ukrainian population, shouldn’t let economic politics get in the way of action.

Olya says. “No one is doing anything. Everyone is standing by. Everyone is afraid to say ‘Russia — getaway!”

The biggest economic risk to some countries is because of Russia’s huge supply of natural gas. It would mostly affect eastern european countries who rely almost entirely on the gas supply from Russia.