Amid dwindling support, this man is keeping Ukraine’s cause alive

Denys Storozhuk knows compassion fatigue, information overload, and pervasive propaganda can numb people to the realities of war.

Yet, he implores that now is not the time to turn a blind eye to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Funding from Western governments, he says, is "barely enough to hold the Russians, and not enough to kick them out."

For two years, Storozhuk has worked alongside an ambitious group of grassroots organizers at Kelowna Stands with Ukraine to aid humanitarian and frontline war efforts overseas.

But since coming together in February 2022, government support - both financial and moral - has dwindled among the Canadian public.

Shrinking Support

Recent online polling from the Angus Reid Institute found 25 per cent of Canadians now think Canada is doing too much to assist Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

That number has jumped 13 per cent since May 2022. Over that same period, the number of Canadians who say Canada is not doing enough to help halved from 38 per cent to 19.

Fewer Canadians are also following the conflict closely, the polling found.

Driving the dwindling support for Ukraine is voters who opted for the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2021 election. Tory supporters who said Canada has done too much has surged from 19 to 43 per cent since May 2022.

Storozhuk identifies three primary reasons for the dropping support: Russian propaganda, fatigue from hearing the same grim news, and an overestimation of how much help countries like Canada are actually providing.

To highlight the pervasive influence of Russian propaganda, Storozhuk points to recent University of Calgary research, showing 25 per cent of tweets in Canada originate from Russia.

This, coupled with a lack of awareness about the actual level of aid provided, creates a challenging environment for rallying support.

"People overestimate how much actual help Canada provides... we calculate that per year it's $120 per one Canadian citizen. That’s not a lot of money, but no one does these calculations," he said.

No Peace Deal

Despite the daunting circumstances, Storozhuk remains resolute.

His message to the public is clear: "The only way to end this war is for Ukraine to win."

He emphasizes that Ukraine needs continued support to achieve this victory.

"That war, Ukraine is taking it on for the whole free world," he said. "We are just asking for the tools we need to win."

Storozhuk also shuts down any notion of brokering a peace deal under current conditions.

"I do not hear from any Ukrainians that we should broker a peace deal," he said, standing firm that Ukrainians will never agree to any parts of Ukraine being occupied by Russia. "Now, if Russia will remove the troops from Ukraine, we are ready for peace deal that day."

As the war drags on, organizations like Kelowna Stands with Ukraine continues to support refugees. So far, about 1,000 have arrived in Kelowna, Storozhuk said.

Through events like a candlelight vigil on Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. and upcoming concerts, his group will remain steadfast to helping those in need.

"The only solution is to help Ukraine to win."

Donations, financial or items for the free Ukrainian store, can be coordinated at the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.