Posted on Apr 17, 2022
War crystalizes young Ukrainian leaders' calls for a future aligned with Europe
654
14
3
8
8
0
https://www.npr.org/2022/04/17/ [login to see] /war-crystalizes-young-ukrainian-leaders-calls-for-a-future-aligned-with-europe
Along with the election of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a new generation of young leaders entered Ukraine's politics following the mass protests that toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014.
These young politicians have few memories of life under Soviet rule — and they say the war has accelerated their efforts to push for a more Europe-focused future.
"As a country, we are actually very prepared for this kind of war in terms of psychologically," said Alyona Shkrum, after ducking under a barbed wire-covered checkpoint in the government quarter. "Because we know very well why we are doing it and why we are protecting our country."
Walking past sand bags and anti-tank barricades, the 34-year-old member of parliament explains this moment is a continuation of what young people like her have been fighting for since the Maidan revolution eight years ago that ousted Ukraine's pro-Russia leader, Viktor Yanukovych.
Like Zelenskyy, Shkrum was elected without much political experience. But she had international experience.
Along with the election of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a new generation of young leaders entered Ukraine's politics following the mass protests that toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014.
These young politicians have few memories of life under Soviet rule — and they say the war has accelerated their efforts to push for a more Europe-focused future.
"As a country, we are actually very prepared for this kind of war in terms of psychologically," said Alyona Shkrum, after ducking under a barbed wire-covered checkpoint in the government quarter. "Because we know very well why we are doing it and why we are protecting our country."
Walking past sand bags and anti-tank barricades, the 34-year-old member of parliament explains this moment is a continuation of what young people like her have been fighting for since the Maidan revolution eight years ago that ousted Ukraine's pro-Russia leader, Viktor Yanukovych.
Like Zelenskyy, Shkrum was elected without much political experience. But she had international experience.
War crystalizes young Ukrainian leaders' calls for a future aligned with Europe
Posted from npr.org
Ukraine
Russia
Leadership
Europe
Posted 2 y ago
Responses: 3
2
2
0
2
2
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
...""As a country, we are actually very prepared for this kind of war in terms of psychologically," said Alyona Shkrum, after ducking under a barbed wire-covered checkpoint in the government quarter. "Because we know very well why we are doing it and why we are protecting our country."
Walking past sand bags and anti-tank barricades, the 34-year-old member of parliament explains this moment is a continuation of what young people like her have been fighting for since the Maidan revolution eight years ago that ousted Ukraine's pro-Russia leader, Viktor Yanukovych.
Like Zelenskyy, Shkrum was elected without much political experience. But she had international experience.
She went to grad school in France and worked in international law in Paris and London. She speaks French and English with ease.
Yarema Dukh, a veteran political adviser of past Ukrainian administrations, called Shkrum "one of the representatives of the new Ukrainian politics."
He says new leaders like Shkrum can not only interact with Western heads of state in their own languages, but understand their culture, their idiosyncrasies.
"They've seen the world and they understand what we need to fix here in Ukraine," Dukh said.
Yevheniia Kravchuk, 36, a member of Zelenskyy's party, says the hunger for new ideas in Ukraine was so great that it led her party, in 2019, to block anyone from joining who had been in the parliament before.
"New people, new thinking," she said. "It was like a big elevator for people to become politicians, to become leaders."
And she says the war has focused Ukrainians, young and old, on this vision for a more democratic Ukraine that is being championed by young leaders.
A recent poll shows that since the start of the war a record 91% of Ukrainians now want their country to join the European Union.
"It's not that we're happy that the war sort of fastened our way to European Union, but it actually made everything black and white," Kravchuk said."...
...""As a country, we are actually very prepared for this kind of war in terms of psychologically," said Alyona Shkrum, after ducking under a barbed wire-covered checkpoint in the government quarter. "Because we know very well why we are doing it and why we are protecting our country."
Walking past sand bags and anti-tank barricades, the 34-year-old member of parliament explains this moment is a continuation of what young people like her have been fighting for since the Maidan revolution eight years ago that ousted Ukraine's pro-Russia leader, Viktor Yanukovych.
Like Zelenskyy, Shkrum was elected without much political experience. But she had international experience.
She went to grad school in France and worked in international law in Paris and London. She speaks French and English with ease.
Yarema Dukh, a veteran political adviser of past Ukrainian administrations, called Shkrum "one of the representatives of the new Ukrainian politics."
He says new leaders like Shkrum can not only interact with Western heads of state in their own languages, but understand their culture, their idiosyncrasies.
"They've seen the world and they understand what we need to fix here in Ukraine," Dukh said.
Yevheniia Kravchuk, 36, a member of Zelenskyy's party, says the hunger for new ideas in Ukraine was so great that it led her party, in 2019, to block anyone from joining who had been in the parliament before.
"New people, new thinking," she said. "It was like a big elevator for people to become politicians, to become leaders."
And she says the war has focused Ukrainians, young and old, on this vision for a more democratic Ukraine that is being championed by young leaders.
A recent poll shows that since the start of the war a record 91% of Ukrainians now want their country to join the European Union.
"It's not that we're happy that the war sort of fastened our way to European Union, but it actually made everything black and white," Kravchuk said."...
(2)
(0)
1
1
0
That pro Russian Pres. Poroshenko says The Russians are guilty of war crimes and is taking up arms against the Russians
(1)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google