ISLANDERS with families in Russia and Ukraine have expressed ‘enormous worry’ over escalating tensions in the region – with US officials suggesting that a Russian invasion could begin today.
In a joint statement, members of a local community group including Russians, Ukrainians and others from the ex-Soviet Union diaspora have said they oppose aggression ‘in any form’ and have warned of the ‘serious economical, political and social impact’ that could stem from a global conflict.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday said that ‘incursion into Ukraine will result in far-reaching damage for Russia and the world’, after US officials expressed concern over a possible invasion on 16 February.
A number of western countries have advised their citizens to leave the region, following the build-up of over 100,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s border.
Following questions from the JEP, the local community group said: ‘This is the statement on behalf of Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, and other languages of the ex-Soviet Union diaspora. We are a very mixed community with regards to our backgrounds. We have different geographical, political, social, ethnic backgrounds, age differences and religious beliefs. We have different mother languages, sometimes several. Mostly we are united by the Russian language, not by force, but by convenience to communicate within our circle. We respect all native languages and traditions.
‘We might have our internal differences, but we declare that within our community we stand together in the face of escalation of the situation on the Ukrainian and Belorussian border.’
They added: ‘We strongly oppose any aggression towards any country’s rights for existence, whether it is by conventional warfare, cyber attacks, terrorism [or] any other means to disrupt peaceful co-existence. The repercussions are not only internal in these countries. There is already serious economical, political and social impact, including immigration, on Europe and the world.’
The group also said that, while Jersey might appear ‘insulated’ from the events in Ukraine, a small war could ‘easily spread’ into a global conflict.
‘All of us have families in Russia and Ukraine, most mixed for several centuries. It is an enormous worry about what can happen to them. If this war goes ahead, it will be a war of “brother against brother”. It cannot happen, it should not happen,’ they said.
‘We want to make a strong message to the local society and beyond – we oppose aggression in any form, and Russians and Ukrainians are not fighting against each other in Jersey,’ they added.
