The resilience of Ukraine

S RUSSIAN BOMBING persists in Kyiv and across Ukraine, Ukrainians show their resilience by continuing to live their lives”, says Ukrainian Ambassador Yuliya Kovaliv.

Kovaliv, who has been Ukraine’s ambassador to Canada since March 2022, spoke with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe at the Mayor's Breakfast, hosted by the Ottawa Business Journal on the 18th March 2023.

The envoy told the audience that Kyiv’s residents continue to go shopping and out for dinner amid the destruction being wrought on their city. Children still go to school and citizens are already rebuilding the city. When she was there in February during a power outage, she could hear the sound of hundreds of generators coming from stores in the area, giving power to carry on business as usual.

“The [resilience] of the businesses is remarkable,” she said, referring to the countless stories about businesses that opened their doors to supply people with what they needed. “They said ‘We are not earning any profit, but we understand that if we are open, people can find a sense of normality.’”

Kovaliv spoke about how Ottawans can help by donating to organizations such as the Red Cross and Canada-Ukraine Foundation or by mentoring, hiring or giving opportunities to Ukrainians who have taken refuge in Canada. Exemplifying the giving she was suggesting, Sutcliffe announced that a motion would be presented at council to donate an ambulance to Ukraine to help provide emergency medical care. Sutcliffe told the ambassador he admired the spirit of Ukrainians and expressed Canada’s steadfast support for the country.