People in northern Ontario with ties to Ukraine keep a close eye on border tensions

People in northern Ontario with ties to Ukraine are keeping an anxious eye on border tensions with Russia, and are hoping things can be resolved peacefully.

Sonia Peczeniuk is secretary for the Ukrainian National Federation in Sudbury. Both her mother and father were born in Ukraine.

Peczeniuk said she is disappointed the situation has escalated to this point. Russia has amassed a huge number of soldiers and equipment near its border with Ukraine, as western countries warn of consequences should an invasion take place.

While the world is paying close attention now, Peczeniuk said problems have been brewing for a long time.

"This is a situation that has been place since 2014 -- that’s eight years," she said.

"Since that time, there have been 13,000 people killed, 30,000 wounded and 1.5 million people internally displaced … During all of this time, there has been ongoing conversations between the United States and the NATO powers, etc., trying to get a resolution."

Peczeniuk said she has roughly 30 family members still in Ukraine and said what she has heard is that citizens in the area are starting to arm themselves.

"So if they can, they are buying guns, ammunition, but in the villages in particular they are not well off and they’re going to use pitchforks or whatever they have to defend themselves," she said.

Orest Lawryniw from Timmins also has family and friends in Ukraine. He said they are telling him people are not overly concerned about a Russian invasion at this time, but are preparing themselves anyway.

"They are hoping it’s going to be resolved and they don’t seem to feel like it’s going to be a conflict that will happen -- they are hoping it won’t happen," said Lawryniw.

“I think with the world reacting the way they are and basically standing up to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin and saying, 'if you do this, we’re going to put sanctions on you and take some action.' Hopefully, he will back down because he has a huge alliance of people that are up against him right now."

Both Peczeniuk and Lawryniw are hoping it can all be resolved before any serious conflict takes place.