Russian-Canadian UBC student fearful for the future of Russia

A Russian-Canadian citizen living in Vancouver says she is fearful for her family living abroad who do not feel safe under the current Russian president and amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

“My grandparents, my aunts, my uncles, my friends … They feel suffocated in their own country,” Ksenia Vlasenko tells CityNews.

“They feel like the government’s not hearing them. So many ties are being broken over this. When you try to speak up against the government, to your friends, or some of your family members. They say, ‘Well, if you’re ashamed of the current state of affairs, then just leave Russia.'”

Vlasenko says his family does not support their government, but without risking their lives, there is nothing they can do to show it.

“They’re really struggling because they are clearly anti-war. We have family and friends in Ukraine as well. But to go out into the streets and declare your anti-war position, first you’re gonna get beaten by the police. And then you’re going to serve [time] in prison.”

In Russia, demonstrations against the war in Ukraine have been typically met with heavy police response, rights group OVD-Info said more than 668 people had been detained in 36 cities as of late Sunday afternoon Moscow time.

Vlasenko adds, she also fears the messages from the Putin administration as propaganda spreads and is “completely broken the people there.”

“I’m filled with so much hatred with the Russian government,” she said. “I cannot even begin to describe it.”

Following Russia’s invasion, on the economic and political front, Canada, the U.S. and other NATO allies have moved to further isolate and sanction the Kremlin. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. will dramatically downgrade its trade status with Russia and also ban imports of Russian seafood, alcohol and diamonds.

And with growing sanctions, it is tough for some of her family members to access basic amenities, Vlasenko worries her grandmother is unable to support herself and the current economic sanctions.

“We are no longer able to send funds to her. So we can’t order groceries online for her, we’re unable to buy her cancer medication. While it’s still there, with the medications is going to run out soon. And for her, she’s an elderly living on $300 a month, if we go back to the exchange rate before the war started. Now she’s only able to buy things like sugar, you know, noodles, she can’t even buy food for her dog anymore. She can’t afford the medication,” she explained.

As hard as this is, Vlasenko says it’s nothing compared to what the people of Ukraine are going through.

Many Russian citizens understand the volatility of the Ruble and they are storing their savings in foreign currency such as the US Dollar and Euros.

“The Russian government has made it impossible to withdraw these monies … they are not interested in withdrawing Rubles because the Ruble has collapsed it is now worth half of what it is was two weeks ago.”

Anyone who tries to protest against the Putin administration is shut down.

“They have already closed down most of the remaining oppositional radio stations – the people protesting on the street they get incarcerated on the spot. there are already 10 thousand people protesting against the war have already been taken into custody. But at the same time you have to consider the numbers: they are not massive, so the protests against Putin’s return to power were able to be suppressed by the Kremlin.”

Many Russian citizens understand the volatility of the ruble, and they’re storing their savings in foreign currencies like the US dollar and euros. However, Florian Gassner, UBC associate professor of Central and Eastern European Studies explains the Russian government has made it all but impossible to withdraw these kinds of funds.

“So you often see pictures of people standing in line at the ATMs. And they’re not even interested in withdrawing rubles anymore, because the ruble has collapsed, it’s now half as much worth as it was two weeks ago. And they just turn around and leave because they can’t access the savings they actually want to access.”

Now in its third week, the war has forced more than 2.5 million people to flee Ukraine. Thousands of civilians and soldiers have been killed.

Talks to establish a broad ceasefire in Ukraine have been unsuccessful so far. The Kremlin’s spokesman said another round of talks would take place Monday by videolink, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Zelenskyy said these talks are held daily and he will continue negotiating with Russia and waiting for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. His repeated calls to meet with Putin have gone unanswered.

-With files from The Associated Press.