WHY THE WAR MATTERS TO ASIA
Matviichuk was in Thailand as part of an Asian tour that also took her to the Philippines and Taiwan.
In Bangkok, she was the keynote speaker at a forum held at the Institute of Security and International Studies, which focused on the implications of the war on Southeast Asia and East Asia.
On why Asians should care about what is going on in Ukraine, Matviichuk said that although the two regions are geographically distant, they are “very close when it comes to very simple human things”.
“We are fighting for the freedom of not being a Russian colony, but to be an independent state … These are understandable things for people, regardless where they live,” she noted.
She added that the war is not just between two states, as Putin is attempting to prove that a nation “with strong military potential and nuclear weapons can do whatever they want”.
“In this war, we are fighting not just for ourselves. We are fighting for this existing world order to make the lives of everyone safer.”
LIVING IN “TOTAL UNCERTAINTY”
When asked how Ukrainians are coping nearly four years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion on Feb 24, 2022, Matviichuk described a life of disrupted normalcy and constant fear.
“You live in total uncertainty. You can’t plan not just your day – you can’t plan your next several hours. You have no idea what will happen,” she said.
The possibility of leading a normal life, like going to work or having family dinners, has been “disappeared and crushed”, she added.
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