Director鈥檚 Message
On 24 February 2025, the world is marking the third anniversary of Russia’s full scale war against Ukraine. If you are in Ukraine, sleep deprived for three years, you know firsthand what it is like to live in wartime—to watch and worry about what the war does to your growing children, to mourn those who you may have lost because of shelling or the battlefield, or to fight on the frontlines defending Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. It is your homeland that was attacked by your neighbouring state three years ago, it is your family who lost homes or businesses, or, far worse, loved ones. It is your country that the aggressor wants to ‘cancel’ and annex. It is your identity that the enemy wants to eradicate—first by means of military aggression, but also by means of manipulating public opinion of you on the international scale.
To those of you without a connection to Ukraine: You may have recognized that the past three years have seen an unprecedented unraveling of global democracy, a growing ideological polarization of the world, a rising cost of living, and an alarming deterioration of public relations in various countries and between states. If you are worried and anxious about the future, you are not alone. In your daily lives you may hear different stories about the war. Some journalists, writing about Ukraine, started using the shortcut “the Ukraine war,” and now you may not even remember why you should care about this "Ukraine war."
It is important not to lose perspective on history. Three years ago, Russian tanks rolled towards the capital of Ukraine hoping to overthrow it in three days. Soldiers marched into towns and villages, killing civilians, including children and women. The war has continued to inflict pain and damage for 1095 days, and it is not over yet. Hundreds of cities and villages are destroyed, and the Ukrainian economy and its energy infrastructure are severely damaged. The Russian state shows no intention of changing its objective to invade and destroy Ukraine, posing a real threat to neighbouring countries and to Europe as a whole.
Three years ago, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies pivoted, overnight, to accommodate the newly emerged challenges and responsibilities stemming directly from Russia’s neo colonial and neo imperial war. In addition to supporting Ukrainian scholars in a time of highest need, the institute immediately mobilized its teams and resources to share and disseminate research-informed examinations and explanations of the circumstances leading to the war. We also rapidly initiated and engaged in numerous projects documenting the war’s impact on Ukraine, its neighbours and the world. Our publications highlighted the real causes of the war, rooted in the neocolonial appetite of the Russian Federation to reclaim its former imperial might on the international stage. You can read about our work in our numerous outlets.
Most recently, on 21–22 February 2025, CIUS’s hosted an international conference in Canada’s capital, Ottawa, titled . Endorsed by the Ambassadors of Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine, the conference generated much interest around the world and was attended, in-person and online, by some 600 people keen to learn about possible solutions for countering the Russian Federation’s extensive propaganda machine.
As we continue observing and critically evaluating the deteriorating geopolitical context of today, CIUS calls for the world to stand with Ukraine and support its people in their fight for freedom and sovereignty, for the benefit of global peace, democracy, and international law and order.
Our work is guided by our vision to “build Ukrainian studies for a better future” through critical dialogue and sustained engagement with partners and researchers around the globe. In our current challenging times, as the institute finds itself at the centre stage of world affairs, we need your support more than ever to deliver on this vision. Please support our work by donating to CIUS.
Natalia Khanenko-Friesen, CIUS Director