People in Ukraine, which is on the verge of a war with Russia, get on with their daily lives as usual. Ukrainians who pursue their vacation plans in the aftermath of the war rumors formed long lines at Kyiv’s International Sikorsky Airport. A Ukrainian citizen at the airport said, “These people are not leaving the country or fleeing here today. They are going on vacation to Spain. You can not see the Ukrainians fleeing here.”
The crisis erupted between Russia and Ukraine in 2014, after Russia annexed Crimea and supported Russian separatists. Tensions between the two countries increased again due to the death of 4 Ukrainian soldiers on the border on March 26, 2021 and Russia’s military build-up on the border. The European Union and the United States announced that they support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in response to Russia’s increasing military presence. Many countries, especially the United States, stated that Russia was preparing to attack Ukraine, while withdrawing its personnel from the diplomatic missions from the capital, Kyiv. Moscow denied the attack allegations and accused western countries of acting “hysterically”.