Protests against Russia’s attack on Ukraine were held in Sarajevo yesterday. A message of support for peace and a call to the international community to stop the suffering of innocent people was sent from the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
Among those gathered was Ukrainian Lesia, who said in a statement that she has lived in BiH for 13 years.
”My whole family and friends are there in Ukraine. The situation is difficult, we were attacked by people from whom we did not expect it, but it happened as it happened. We thank the people of Bosnia for such support. Bosnians really understand us like no one else in the world now. We hope for the support of Bosnia and the world community,” she expressed.
”Thanks to those countries that are currently opening their borders and accepting our refugees. We are holding on, we pray to God and we trust in our army. Glory to Ukraine! ” said Lesia.
Ukrainian Alona has a similar opinion, saying that she came to BiH to work, and now she cannot return to her country.
”I hope my family will be safe. But how can we talk about safetyif war is coming? Thank you Bosnians for understanding us and for your support, because you, like no one else, know how it feels. We ask the world to help us because we are strong, but not enough. We do not want war, only peace,” Alona sadly stated.
After the events on Maidan Square in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2014, a pro-Western government came to power, and then-President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country. Russia then illegally annexed Crimea. The separatists have declared authorities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, where the majority of the population is of Russian origin. Then bloody clashes broke out between pro-Russian separatist forces and the Ukrainian army.
The agreements in Minsk were signed in 2014 and 2015 with the mediation of Western powers. However, ceasefire violations continued. By February, about 14.000 people had been killed in the clashes.
Russia drew public attention by starting to deploy tens of thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine at the end of 2021. The United States (U.S.) claimed that Russia was preparing for an invasion, but official Moscow persistently denied it. While Western countries threatened Russia with sanctions, the Moscow administration recognized the separatist authorities in Donbas and launched a military operation on the territory of Ukraine on February 24th.
E.Dz.
