On Feb. 24, Russian troops invaded Ukraine under the orders of Russian President Vladamir Putin in an attempt to redraw the borders of the Soviet Union nearly 30 years after its collapse, according to a Washington Street Journal article. University President Ron Liebowitz wrote in support of peace between Russia and Ukraine in an address to community members on March 1. 

“I also want to express our collective concern for those within our community whose families and loved ones are being directly affected by the crisis in the region. May this conflict end quickly and in peaceful resolution,” wrote Liebowitz in his address to community members. 

The university sent out a follow-up email on March 2 with a list of resources for community members impacted by the war. The resources included events and panels to provide, “opportunities to gather with the Brandeis community in dialogue about the invasion of Ukraine and in solidarity for peace.” 

Putin has led the invasion into Ukraine as a way to, “defend the Russian speakers in Ukraine,” according to a Wall Street Journal article. Specifically, Putin is focused on two self-declared republics: Donetsk and Luhansk which have not been under Ukrainian control since 2014. Putin refers to his plan as “de-Nazification” in a narrative he has created saying Ukrainian politicians are puppets to Western countries, according to the article. Ukraine has denied this narrative and its president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has spoken on his Jewish background and how his father served as a Soviet officer during World War II.  

On Wednesday, March 2, Russia captured its first major city, Kherson. Kherson is a port city and it is a crucial area in the battle for the south, according to a New York Times article. In response to Russia’s attempted occupation of Ukraine, many countries have issued sanctions against Russia attempting to cause economic hardship and pressure, according to the article.  

“In recent days, the situation in Ukraine has continued to deteriorate, and we acknowledge the deep concern and uncertainty members of our community may be experiencing during this difficult time,” reads the email from Carol A. Fierke, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affair and Raymond Lu-Ming Ou, Vice President of Student Affairs. 

As a result of the war, many Ukrainians are fleeing their country, according to a Wall Street Journal article. Over a million Ukrainian refugees have fled according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)—the UN’s Refugee Agency. Most of the refugees are heading to Poland, according to the article. At the border between Ukraine and Poland, refugees have to wait nearly 60 hours to cross the border. The way to enter Romania is up to 20 hours and it has taken up to 24 hours driving from Odessa, Ukraine to the Moldova border, according to the article.

While facing the invasion from Russia, Ukrainians are still facing multiple public health crises, according to an NBC news article. Due to slow vaccine turnout, only about 35 percent of Ukrainians have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a Time article. There is also a polio outbreak, which they have been trying to get under control since October of 2021. With the mass movement of people and with people forced into close proximity to shelter, COVID-19, can spread rapidly, according to the Time article. Ukraine currently is at a “critical” oxygen shortage, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) Official, according to a CNN article. Oxygen is important for COVID-19 patients as well as those with other conditions, WHO is currently working to establish a route to get oxygen into Ukraine to make sure it can be used to treat patients. 

Students seeking support are encouraged to use resources available at the university, including the Brandeis Counseling Center, according to Fierke and Ou. Employees who are impacted by the invasion were encouraged to use the Employee Assistance Program for support. 

“As a university community, these events offer us the opportunity to work toward a better understanding of the crisis unfolding in the region as we all collectively hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict,” reads the email. 

The Center for German and European Studies (CGES) will hold two events: Ukraine and Germany: Partnership in Times of Crisis on March 2 and Contextualizing the Ukraine Crisis on March 21. The Departments of History and Politics co-sponsored an event Russia and Ukraine: Insights Into an International Emergency on March 3. The Russian Studies Program hosted both A TALK-in About the War and Russian Tea Against the War in Ukraine on March 3, and will host Fund-raising Effort Against the War in Ukraine and in Support of Russians Protesting the War on March 4. The Center for Spiritual Life and the Russian Studies Program will hold a co-sponsored event called Gathering for Peace in Ukraine on March 4. 

Editor’s Note: Opinions Editor Mia Plante and Editor-in-Chief Sasha Skarboviychuk did not contribute to the writing or editing of this article.