‘I hope the war will stop’: Ukrainians in Halifax reflect on third anniversary of war

Three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, we look at how the war has evolved and what the future may hold.

It’s been three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Zlatoslava Rudnytska was in Kyiv when the war began – and her life changed forever.

“I woke up from explosions. Bombs and rockets around me,” she said. “I had already packed my emergency bag because we kind of were prepared for the worst-case scenario.”

She spent a week in a bomb shelter, and then began her journey to safety. She eventually made it to Nova Scotia one year after the war first started, where she’s been ever since.

Her story is like so many others.

“Millions of people moved away from Ukraine,” said Bohdan Luhovyy, the president of the Nova Scotia branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

“They have no place to return to, and we’re happy to have some of them here in Nova Scotia.”

The fact that the third anniversary of this war is now here is a difficult day for many.

“We hoped that last year would be the last anniversary, but we still have active war. We still have civilians killed every day,” he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in Kyiv to mark the somber occasion. He also participated in a special summit and pledged more support.

“We must do everything within our power to enable Ukraine to secure a just and lasting peace. A peace that cannot be achieved without Ukrainians at the table,” said Trudeau.

The meeting comes at a critical time for Ukraine amid uncertainty surrounding its relationship with the United States and President Donald Trump.

“He has been very open about cutting military support to Ukraine,” said Robert Huish, international development studies associate professor at Dalhousie University.

“He wants access to all of Ukraine’s resources going forward just to, as he says, repay the debt of aid offered so far.”

Huish said it’s possible the conflict could come to an end this year, but not necessarily in the way Ukraine had hoped.

“We will probably see a divvying up of territory in Ukraine if the U.S. continues to support Russia and withdraw its support from Ukraine,” he said.

While Rudnytska now considers Halifax her home -- she even found love and got married -- she hopes to someday go back to her first home.

“I will visit Ukraine. I hope I will visit my home, my grandmother and my father, and I hope the war will stop,” she said.

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