Anton Tatus ’24 discusses the impact of war in native Ukraine
Among the many tragedies of the war in Ukraine is the impact on families who have had to flee their homes, said Anton Tatus ’24, a managerial economics major from Ukraine whose mother and sister have fled to Slovakia.
Tatus gave a talk, “One Year Later: Ukraine Under Siege,” on March 1 at Wold House at which he urged support for on-line charities that provide defensive and civilian assistance to his native country.
Of the roughly 8 million people displaced from Ukraine, 2.5 million are children, he said. About 60 percent of children in urban areas have been forced from their homes. He noted that the departure of so many women and children has caused a demographic shift that is not sustainable for the population.
Large tracts of housing, especially in urban areas, have been destroyed or vacated with disastrous economic consequences for the former inhabitants. “For many people in Ukraine, their apartment is often the only asset they have,” Tatus said. “[The war] hits the civilian population very hard.”
There is concern among Ukrainians about the long-term support of countries in the west, Tatus said, but Ukrainian morale has been buoyed by recently announced plans by Finland and Sweden to seek NATO membership. Tatus noted that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky enjoys a 91 percent approval rating in his country.