The Conflict In Ukraine is Splitting Families And Friends

Voice of America: Ukraine Conflict Divides Families, Friends

KRAMATORSK, UKRAINE - The conflict in Ukraine may have galvanized those who support a united, independent country, but it has also sewn divisions between them and neighbors, friends and family who lean toward Russia. The political tensions have severed relationships and even led some couples to seek divorce.

Lyudmila and Denis Sakhno married 17 years ago and expected to spend the rest of their lives together. But marital tensions spiked when Russia-backed rebels took advantage of a power vacuum in Kyiv to seize control of their town.

Lyudmila, an ethnic Ukrainian, said that while she was emotionally torn by the situation, her husband, who is half Russian, saw it differently.

WNU Editor: I have been very lucky .... I am still on excellent terms with all of my Ukrainian and Russian-Ukrainian friends, family members, and associates. In fact .... I have probably gained a few more friends (from both sides) since the start of the crisis. But while I have been lucky, in the past year I have seen many relationships, marriages, and families torn apart by this war and its politics .... even within my own family. But while this VOA report focuses on the war and how it is dividing families and friends, the dire economic situation in Ukraine is making the situation worse. Many people are now unemployed, and making ends meet is becoming next to impossible for many homes. I have lost count on how many requests I have received in just the past three months for money, help in getting a Canadian visa (I live in Canada), or to provide legal advice in a dispute. Sighhhh .... and what concerns me is that I cannot help but feel that the situation is going to deteriorate even further.