Editor’s Note: We asked people on the street in Kyiv which nation they think is the best friend of Ukraine.
Kateryna Lysenko,
philosophy student
“Maybe, it’s Canada. I think that there is an invisible connection between Ukraine and all the countries where there is a (large) community of Ukrainians.”
Olha Petryk,
art historian
“It is Russia. A lot of countries look at Russia, which replaced the Soviet Union, with hope, because Russia honors family and Christian values. The Soviet Union had a special treatment of people, where everybody was friends and comrades. Today, this can be achieved only with the help of religion.”
Roman Maryniak,
law student
“Our friends are the European Union’s countries. Every country in the European Union supports us in every concrete situation. These countries extend partnership with Ukraine.”
Mariia Rozputna,
marketer, philosophy educator
“I think that it is Sweden and Switzerland. It seems that these countries provide much greater support for Ukraine than other European countries. But speaking about everyday life, such as supporting the protests, or art and literature cooperation, I think that France, Poland and Germany support us greatly.”
Maksym Strikha (university professor of physics) (Volodymyr Petrov)
Maksym Strikha,
university professor of physics
“It is Lithuania. Because it is a pro-Western country and there are no disagreements (between us) like there are with Poland. And the Lithuanian government has been consistently supporting Ukraine since 2014.”
Ihor Kanchalaba (medic) (Volodymyr Petrov)
Ihor Kanchalaba,
medic
“We have still not become friends inside Ukraine. Eastern and Western Ukraine are disconnected. I’m from eastern Ukraine but my wife is from western Ukraine and we have a great relationship. We are speaking both Ukrainian and Russian at home. But everything that I hear on TV is that east and west can’t reach an understanding. I think, that instead of wasting energy for making friends outside we should all become friends inside of Ukraine.”
