Ukrainians gather in George Square, Glasgow
- 2 years ago
Ukrainians gather in George Square, Glasgow. 'Massive support'
In Glasgow's George Square members of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) held an afternoon vigil.
Dr Yevgen Gorash, AUGB Glasgow vice-chairman, was spending a second day there, having met members of the Ukrainian diaspora in the square on Thursday.
"There was nothing else we could do," Dr Gorash told the BBC. "The only thing we could focus on was to show that we are there and we have got the massive support of the local people and massive attention.
"We would like everyone to join us and meet us, talk to us. We need your attention and we need your support."
The Strathclyde University research fellow, who has lived in Glasgow for 10 years, said Ukraine's second biggest city Kharkiv, where his family live, was under siege.
"Yesterday morning when the Russian army and tanks proceeded very quickly to the outskirts of the city, but the [Ukrainian] army was able to stop them," he said.
"[My parents] can still hear the shelling and explosions but they are quite far away on the outskirts of the city. Inside of the city everyone seemed to be safe - many people spent the night in the bomb shelters and also in the underground."
But he added: "It is deeply worrying."
Dr Gorash said he did not believe the sanctions being put in place against Russia were enough.
"It is already the most catastrophic scenario that no one would imagine in the 21st century in the geographical centre of Europe, with a 50 million-people nation under threat of annihilation," Dr Gorash said.
"Just economic sanctions are not enough. Putin has prepared for them.
"What is needed is full engagement of United Nations with peacekeepers, European Union with economic support, and open borders, and Nato. Without Nato we wouldn't survive."
Russian national Anzhela Erdem, who has lived in Scotland for 12 years, went to George Square to show her support for the Ukrainians.
"I've been devastated and shocked and ashamed, to tell the truth," she said.
"I came here to show my support, to show that I am against this cruel war and let people know that not all Russians support this war."
She said many Russians believed Putin was taking "small military actions" against terrorists to free Ukraine.
In Glasgow's George Square members of the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) held an afternoon vigil.
Dr Yevgen Gorash, AUGB Glasgow vice-chairman, was spending a second day there, having met members of the Ukrainian diaspora in the square on Thursday.
"There was nothing else we could do," Dr Gorash told the BBC. "The only thing we could focus on was to show that we are there and we have got the massive support of the local people and massive attention.
"We would like everyone to join us and meet us, talk to us. We need your attention and we need your support."
The Strathclyde University research fellow, who has lived in Glasgow for 10 years, said Ukraine's second biggest city Kharkiv, where his family live, was under siege.
"Yesterday morning when the Russian army and tanks proceeded very quickly to the outskirts of the city, but the [Ukrainian] army was able to stop them," he said.
"[My parents] can still hear the shelling and explosions but they are quite far away on the outskirts of the city. Inside of the city everyone seemed to be safe - many people spent the night in the bomb shelters and also in the underground."
But he added: "It is deeply worrying."
Dr Gorash said he did not believe the sanctions being put in place against Russia were enough.
"It is already the most catastrophic scenario that no one would imagine in the 21st century in the geographical centre of Europe, with a 50 million-people nation under threat of annihilation," Dr Gorash said.
"Just economic sanctions are not enough. Putin has prepared for them.
"What is needed is full engagement of United Nations with peacekeepers, European Union with economic support, and open borders, and Nato. Without Nato we wouldn't survive."
Russian national Anzhela Erdem, who has lived in Scotland for 12 years, went to George Square to show her support for the Ukrainians.
"I've been devastated and shocked and ashamed, to tell the truth," she said.
"I came here to show my support, to show that I am against this cruel war and let people know that not all Russians support this war."
She said many Russians believed Putin was taking "small military actions" against terrorists to free Ukraine.