Life in Ukraine’s capital Kiev goes on as usual, said locals, although reports of diplomatic personnel being evacuated from the city are coming out these days.
As the tensions with Russia is escalating, Germany and Sweden on Saturday joined the United States and the United Kingdom to urge their nationals in Ukraine to leave the country.
Foreign ministries of Poland and Turkey also issued travel warnings, advising their nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine’s eastern borders.
Israel’s Defense Ministry asked its national defense force to be prepared for citizen evacuation from Ukraine, and Australian Embassy in Ukraine will evacuate its diplomatic staff.
However, in a busy business street in downtown Kiev, shops and restaurants are open as usual.
Wassily, a local resident, who works in a market near the business street, said that his life has not been affected and it is the media outlets that are hyping up the panic.
“I don’t think there will be a war. ‘Wars’ are only in media. I think the situation escalation is good for Biden to some extent, because it brings benefits to him at home,” said Wassily.
Like Wassily, Nailia, another local resident who was distributing coupons on street, also believed that there is no need to panic.
“I don’t believe there will be wars. I think it’s just intimidation, which is to make people live in fear. We don’t need to be frightened. We should stay vigilant, and fear is our enemy,” said Nailia.
The Ukraine’s currency against the U.S. dollar remained stable on Friday and Saturday, with no significant depreciation.
For residents in Kiev, life continues despite worries about future.
“As an ex-serviceman, I think the current situation has been exaggerated. Although I left the army, I know clearly that waging a war requires sufficient logistical support and medical services. We don’t see the signs now,” said Petro, a resident.
“No one can be 100 percent sure whether there will be a war. I don’t even think the (Ukrainian) president know about it. So we do not need to worry about where the war will start. If there is a war one day, we should find a way to deal with it, but it’s not now,” said Elu Khan, a photographer.
On Saturday, President Russian President Vladimir Putin had phone calls with U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron respectively over the situation in Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden urges American citizens to leave Ukraine
