The Situation in Ukraine and What You Can Do About It
By Allyson Carlton
Since late last year, every time you look at the headlines, it seems there is some news about what is happening in Ukraine. To be honest, I do not read the news because it depresses me. However, I decided to finally learn about what was happening in Ukraine. If you’re like me, or if you have been too busy juggling classes, a job and other commitments, then I will give you a brief overview of what has been going on for the past few months.
To put it simply, this whole thing started because President Yanukovych turned down a European trade and political deal, settling for a $15 billion bail-out that Russia offered instead. For this reason, protests broke out all over the place. Because of all the protests, there are now a whole bunch of ridiculous laws that prohibit protesting with very severe punishments. Politicians from Ukraine were trying to get Yanukovych removed from office.
Right around this time, Tymoshenko, who was a leader in the 2004 orange revolution, was released from jail and decided she would also like to be in the running to be the leader. Even simplified, it is a lot to take in all at once. However, it is basically a big jumbled mess over mainly political issues that are resulting in the deaths of many people.
You are probably thinking: “That’s terrible… but how does that apply to me? Why should I care?” Well, I’ll tell you why. Though the chances are extremely slim, some people have mused that this whole ordeal might start WWIII if it gets too far out of hand.
This is only a glimpse into what is happening in Ukraine. As Christians, we can pray for the people in Ukraine and in Russia every day. Not only that, but we can start checking the news regularly so that we may know how to pray for these people struggling through such difficult times.
Checking the news and sending up a few quick prayers for these people may not seem like much, but we should never underestimate the power of prayer. Please remember to keep Ukraine in your prayers daily, and also pray for the loved ones of those who have been lost because of this issue.
