Ukraine to be 'set back 100 years': college professor

A local college professor is painting a very gloomy picture for the future of Ukraine and eastern Europe, two days into the invasion by Russian forces.

This, despite suggestions Friday of the possibility of ceasefire and peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. At the same time Russian forces were gathering on the edge of the capital, Kiev.

Ukrainian-born Youry Khmelevsky, the chair of the computer science department at Okanagan College, believes the country will once again fall into the orbit of Russia, largely because of inaction by the West. He adds other neighboring former Soviet Socialist Republics could suffer a similar fate.

Khmelevsky, who said he’s a scientist, not a politician, highlighted how Russian president Vladimir Putin has long held the desire to reintegrate the likes of Ukraine back into "his empire" as he put it, and this should not come as a surprise.

“Putin has already said Ukraine should remove all weapons, and surrender to Russia,” Khmelevsky told Kelowna10. “That means it will again be [in] the Soviet Union.”

The professor said he has been keeping in telephone contact with family and friends in the country and the situation is even more bleak than is being portrayed by media. He said he had heard how civilians were climbing onto Russian tanks and children were being targeted by Russian troops.

He knows people who are desperate to flee the country.

“As a scientist, I can analyze the situation and do the research, and what I’ve done is depressing,” he explained, noting a lack of direct action by the West. He figures financial sanctions will have no impact on Russia.

“Nobody supports Ukraine as they promised to support Ukraine. That means Ukraine is alone right now. If Ukraine is alone, it will be destroyed or annexed [by Russia],” he said.

Khmelevsky said Canada, with the biggest concentration of Ukrainian immigrants in the world, at 1.3 million, should be doing more to support those who are trying to leave, including an urgent opening of Canada’s doors to those who will be seeking refugee status.

As for the news Friday of the possibility of ceasefire talks between the two countries, Khmelevsky said Putin has already made it clear that he expects not only Ukraine, but other eastern countries to demilitarize.

“That means after Ukraine it will be the Baltic countries, Moldova, maybe Poland… all eastern European countries are a target right now,” he said, noting two generations of Ukraine as a sovereign independent nation since the end of the Soviet Union were likely coming to an end.

“Ukraine survived 30 years, but this is the most challenging time for Ukraine. If Ukraine survives, I believe in a bright future. If not, it will put the country back one hundred years.”