According to the Day Alerts website, it has been 1166 days or three years and two months since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, it has been more than four thousand days (or eleven years) since Russia forcefully occupied Crimea.
As the current American administration plays with lives and alternates its decisions daily, including the recent ultimatum to give up Crimea, the suspension of USAID, and its restarted talks with Russia’s president, it is crucial to keep track of the news and those who directly suffer from these choices.
A few weeks ago, the US signed a deal to share the rights to Ukraine’s mineral reserves to accept reparations for past and future support. The Ukrainian government estimates that the country has 5 percent of the world’s most critical raw materials — including lithium, titanium, uranium, and graphite (The New York Times). The reactions to the agreement are mixed: although the mineral deal provides a weak sense of relief as we witness more collaboration between the American and the Ukrainian governments, it also evokes anxiety — the mineral deal has no specific security guarantees in writing.
The agreement does not oppose Ukraine joining the European Union, which is a strong move forward, but it also does not mention a specific security guarantee that would restrict Russia from regrouping and returning stronger after a ceasefire. Since the signing of the deal and the beginning of the peace talks attempts, Russia has continuously attacked Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Odesa, Zaporizhzhia, and other Ukrainian cities, killing and injuring people even in their sleep. Russia has never shown any desire for peace; its only goal has been destruction and ruin.
Nevertheless, it is important to note that Ukrainians are immensely grateful for the support of the American people and other countries. Every donation, call, protest, fair, and the openness and sympathy towards Ukrainian refugees are valued beyond description by each one of us. We are thankful to all foreign journalists and volunteers, whose help saves lives and shares the truth internationally, and those who fall in love with and preserve our culture.
Some trusted English-speaking news sources, covering daily events, include United24Media, KyivIndependent, and UkraineUA. Although this article focuses on the ongoing tragedies in Ukraine inflicted by Russia, I encourage everyone to follow the world news section and the accounts of some international relief organizations (UNICEF, GlobalGiving, Project Hope) that provide help globally and cover countries that get almost no media coverage or attention.
