Anna - A Voice from Ukraine

---this episode is recorded in english--- This is not one of our usual "mit Milch und Zucker" recordings. There won't be our usual talk about coffee and things that inspire us. Anna currently lives in the Ukraine and gave us an update about life there. How is she coping, how is she getting information and how can we actually help. The episode was recorded on Saturday 26th of Feburary at 6pm (GMT+1) and resonates the events until then. We are sure a lot has happened since then and we want to ask you to listen to Anna, her story and learn how to support people in the Ukraine. Thank you Anna for your time, we are very grateful for your trust. (03:41) We are in a safe place and my family is ok and I am ok. As much as we can be in this situation. (04:11) The war started 2014 with Crimea being taken away. (05:16) You get tired of the panic. You await everything, but it is still unbelievable once it starts. (06:19) I woke up at 4am because I heard some explosions. (06:44) You hear the explosions, and you see your kids and you think “What should I do?” (07:14) I thought they would not attack civilians, but now they are bombing Kyiv. (07:45) People are living in the subway stations. Women are giving birth there. (08:07) I escaped with my family and the kid of a volunteer for the military. She said to me “You take my kid and you leave Kyiv.” (11:39) You must keep your mental health, because it is really crucial. (12:00) The as we call it “Blitzkrieg” has failed, because they did not invade us in two days, as they wanted to. (14:21) It is the 21st century and someone comes and puts his nostalgia over the Soviet Union with missiles over your head. (14:35) It is not a Tsunami, it is a force of men. (14:54) There is so much to do for Humanity, why do you have to start this war? (15:38) When the Crimea was taken, nobody believed it was happening. And from that time, we do have a grief against Europe, because everyone, Germany, France, told us not to do anything and to understand Putin. (16:28) They did kill people and they did take children from our soldiers. (17:10) Russian Media tried to persuade people, that eastern and western Ukrainians are like East- and West Germany. But that is not the case. They even vote quite similar. (18:16) When the tension rises, you always search for someone to blame. (19:40) Russia attacked military people first but second pro-European people. (20:37) They said: “Let Putin take Crimea and he will stop.” He didn’t. They said: “He needs Luhansk und Donezk as a corridor to Crimea, he will stop then.” He didn’t. Ukraine will not be enough for him. He wants half of Europe. (22:00) This is a question of European Security. (25:38) You see where Hate leads you. It does not stop with the speech. (26:25) You don’t know what happens tomorrow, you don’t know what happens today. Right know we think we are safe in Western Ukraine, but this can change. (28:55) It’s better to escape than to panic. (30:54) People are preparing where to go when there is bombing, how to communicate when there is no internet connection. (32:22) I don’t know how we manage, but we manage. (32:44) There are two ways to help. Support NGOs and donate or join European Groups on Facebook and organize medical help or civilian needs. (33:56) Switch Russia off from Swift and provide “no fight zones”. (34:31) Stop the aggression now with us in the Ukraine, to prevent it coming to you. (35:41) Russian Liberals say “Do, what you are not afraid to do.” If it is a Facebook Post, it is a Facebook Post. If it is #nowar – do it. (36:30) Ukraine will stay strong.