“World War Three has already started.”

Eline Huisman

Today marks a thousand days since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Yana Rudenko, Ukrainian activist, and co-founder of student association ABBA and the DroneAid Collective, talks about her experiences during the Russian occupation of Bucha, her view on the war in Ukraine, and the outcome of the US presidential elections.

When the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, you were in Bucha. Bucha was occupied by Russia and became a target. What was it like to live through this period?

“It was a very sudden change. One day I had a normal life and worried about my stressful job, when the next day my friend called me at 6:00 a.m. to tell me that the war had started. I was in Bucha for two weeks and we lived in the basement. From the second day, there was no electricity, the connection was very poor, and we had no shower for eleven days. This is what the Russians do; their goal is to take away your human dignity in order to break you and your principles. It is then very easy to brainwash people and make them believe that Ukraine is a nazi country and that Russia is the liberator. Because I never knew what would happen in the next ten minutes or whether I’d still be alive, the occupation was truly horrific.”

“Our neighborhood in Bucha was targeted by Russian attacks. A nearby residential building was targeted, a neighbor was injured in his stomach and there was blood everywhere. There were videos of people being killed on the streets just a kilometer away from us. On March 5, when my friends went upstairs to feed the cats, our neighborhood came under attack again, and an explosion occurred right next to us. In those first few seconds, I thought my friends hadn’t survived. I was terrified of being left alone in a war zone. And as a 23-year-old woman, I was particularly scared of being raped. Still, the evacuation was even scarier, because the basement had eventually become like home, the safest place. When you’re out on the streets, you don’t know if you meet Russians and what they will do to you, like Russian roulette.”

You eventually came to the Netherlands in July 2022, what made you decide to evacuate and to come to the Netherlands?

“Before moving back to Kyiv, I stayed in my hometown in Cherkasy for two months. during this time, I had to attend my grandmother’s funeral, and my mother was hospitalized, so it was a difficult period. Since the first day of full-scale invasion of Ukraine, many of my international friends and friends from the Netherlands asked me to leave Ukraine in order to be safe. But I refused, I wanted to stay in Ukraine. During this highly pressing, but transformative period for Ukraine, I simply wanted to be part of our society and history, to live what my compatriots go through. I wanted to stay in Kyiv, find a job and to contribute to Ukrainian resistance. However, not being able to contribute or fulfill my intentions was mentally very challenging. As a victim of the war, contributing was very necessary for my recovery and mental health. So, when I did not know what to do, a friend of mine told me: ‘Yana, you are young, just go study.’ And studying abroad had always been a dream of mine. The war also made me realize that nothing is more valuable than your knowledge. That is true wealth and no one can take it away from you. So, that is why I decided to come to the Netherlands and enter Leiden University.”

You’ve mentioned that for you, Ukraine’s territorial integrity is essential for the future of the country. Can you explain why you believe this is such a crucial issue for Ukraine in the war?

“For me, as an average Ukrainian and victim of the war, it won’t be a victory and there will be no peace if Ukraine isn’t fully liberated. So, territorial integrity is the first priority, because it is not just some vague territory, it is about history and family history. For example, my father was born in the same village where his great-grandmother was born in 1882. Why should we leave? And I talked about this with a friend, you rarely find any family business in Ukraine like you see in the Netherlands, such as family-owned restaurants or companies like the Dutch Heineken with over a hundred years of history. Do you know why? It’s not because Ukrainians aren’t entrepreneurial enough, but because Russia has destroyed and erased our culture, history, and our collective memory. Every generation of Ukrainians has been affected—every generation has faced suffering and death.”

“That is why, for me, territorial integrity is nonnegotiable, it is about history and culture. Let’s remember how the Second World War started: we were appeasing Hitler and ceding territories to him, such as Czechoslovakia and Poland. We also should not forget that the Soviet Union also attacked Poland and annexed the country, so the Soviet Union was also a bad guy in the Second World War, despite it being depicted as the good guy here in the Netherlands. For me, losing territory means appeasing Putin.”

Some Western countries are hesitant towards NATO membership for Ukraine, as NATO then becomes directly involved in the war. Given this, do you think it is possible for Ukraine to become a NATO member before the end of the war without it leading to a World War Three?

“I could imagine part of Ukraine joining NATO now to help stop the war. There could be non-linear ways to join NATO, it just depends on the political will. We need to be bold in our decisions draw red lines. For example, how can we allow North Korean troops to fight Ukraine? Besides, World War Three is already happening. A war doesn’t start in one day, it happens gradually due to ignorance, appeasement, and isolationism. Isn’t it a global war when we’re using American weapons to fight North Koreans in Europe? I think that this means that World War Three has already started. NATO has not clearly responded to North Korean troops. I think in a month from now, Russia has taken the next horrible step, because we ignored it.”

“Ukraine should join NATO, because it is either NATO or nuclear weapons. If NATO doesn’t help us, we will be building nuclear weapons ourselves. Ukrainians will be completely disappointed. There is no future for Ukraine without NATO. We need to break this cycle of wars. So, yes, I could imagine Ukraine joining NATO in part. Without NATO membership, we will face another war in two to three years. Especially now that Russia’s economy has turned into a war economy. Russia has no interest in ending the war.”

What does it say about Russia that North Korean troops are joining them in their fight, does it mean that they need assistance from outside or does Russia want to signal that it still has international support?

“I think they are testing. They are testing European red lines, which don’t exist. They are testing to see how you’ll react. It will escalate, because they start with 1000 soldiers and see how you react and then they can decide to send even more. I think Russia is using North Korean soldiers, not because they are lacking human capacity or want to save Russian lives. I think it is about efficiency, as North Korea is a closed society and even more ideologically brainwashed than Russia. So I think that they will fight much more intensely. North Korea also want their people to fight. They want to test their people and to get this real war experience. I think North Korea is happy to join the war. Every single day, Russia and North Korea are gaining more experience. Now, Ukraine is a battlefield where they are testing weapons, troops, and military strategies. It’s a mutual benefit.”

As the US has elected Donald Trump as its next president, what do you expect from a Trump presidency and its potential impact on the war in Ukraine?

“Donald Trump is a man with a big ego, driven by a desire to be remembered in history as the man who ended a terrible war. He will attempt to negotiate, but he will fail. Does Russia want peace? I find zero signs that Russia wants peace. Russia lost meaningful international connections and faced sanctions. It has ramped up military production and formed partnerships with regimes like North Korea. Does this sound like a country ready to give up tomorrow or stop fighting in three months? Russia is preparing for a long war, and meanwhile Europe might not even be ready to defend itself. Can Russia be trusted? History says otherwise. Let’s not forget the Moscow Peace Treaty that was signed on May 12, 1997 after Russia’s defeat in the First Chechen War. Just two years later, in August 1999, they launched another invasion. Why? Because they used the peace treaty to buy time. Russia must be defeated and fundamentally reeducated. For that to happen, they need to lose this war.”

“So, I think Trump’s desire to end the war through negotiations will not succeed. He may try to pressure Ukraine into accepting concessions, such as a ‘demilitarized zone’ or a 20-year freeze on NATO membership. But Ukraine will never agree to terms that leave the door open for future Russian aggression. Such conditions would protect the aggressor, not the victim. Europe must stand firmly with us to ensure Ukraine’s future. Under the Democrats, we’ve received steady but slow support—just enough to survive. But time is not on our side. Every day costs lives. Moving slowly is not an option. Ukrainians could be wiped out sooner or later. With Trump, however, there may be a window of opportunity. If his negotiations fail—or if Russia fails him—he might then allow Ukraine to win decisively by providing the weapons we need.”

“Europe is too dependent on the US and far too focused on the American elections. For example, I’ve noticed that Europeans cared much more about the US elections than their own elections. I think Europe needs to become more independent from the US so it can make its own decisions towards Ukraine. Right now, Europe cannot decide anything on its own. Take the issue of long range missiles: the decision to use long range missiles in Russian territory depended on the US. Too often, Europe waits for American leadership. Europe cannot afford to rely on the US so heavily, especially given America’s history of isolationism. The US will not be as committed to European peace as it was during the Second World War. Remember, the US entered the war only after being attacked by Japan. Europe, meanwhile, cares more about who governs the US than who governs Europe.”

Photo: Flickr.com / U.S. Embassy Kiev Ukraine