Ukrainians are said to be concerned following Volodymyr Zelensky’s clash with Donald Trump last week. Alain Homsy, the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) Ukraine Country Director, told the Express from Kyiv it is “very difficult to see the reaction” from people living in the war-torn country.
He added: “I think it’s a general reaction of concern. But we’ll see what happens in the weeks and months with everything discussed.” Even though locals do keep an eye on developments on the world stage, Mr Homsy added residents are more concerned with their daily lives. They are living under fear of Russian air attacks “every day”, and struggle to get hold of basic provisions, such as personal hygiene and baby care items, as international organisations work to keep local markets going amid disruption.
Water and electric supplies are also being hampered.
Help provided by IRC has been affected by the withdrawal of USAid, the director said, putting extra strain on things like healthcare and food supplies.
When asked if the move could cost lives, Mr Homsy answered: “Absolutely. We are supporting clinics that will not have any more supply of medicines, or even have doctors or nurses to treat people.”
“A lot of gaps” have been left, he added, which “will not be able to be filled anytime soon”.
Isolated villages are placed under particular strain.
“We bring support in those remote villages,” Mr Homsy said. “What happened, a few years ago, is that a lot of the younger people had left the villages, and Ukrainians, they live together with families, with their grandparents, and the younger people have left so often we see left in the villages are elderly people.
“They don’t have much to support themselves with money and livelihoods, and also with services.”
Ukrainians are also growing “tired” of the conflict, he added, due to conscription of “fathers and brothers” for the army.
“Men are being conscripted and being sent to fight,” Mr Homsy said. “It’s difficult for the population to see this, and we’re not seeing much end in the near future.”