Tensions are on the rise as Ukrainian citizens feel the looming threat of war, literally at their doorsteps. Life in Ukraine right now is hard. citizens of major cities bordering Russia have to live in constant fear. Imagine what it would be like if Canada was threatening war on America. Everyone would all be ready especially being a northern state. CNBC interviews Maksym, a citizen who lives about 100 miles from the Russian border, claims that the people of his city are getting ready to flee, stating, “I think 30 to 40% of the population of my city — have emergency bags, like cash, documents and a full tank of gas in their cars. We’re ready.” Others are volunteering to defend their country if war was to break out.

The whole situation causes lots of stress for the people of Ukraine because Maksym says, “we are like one big country”. He mentions how he has family and friends in Russia, and so do many other Ukrainians. It is like the people of Ukraine have been in quarantine for several years. They state that “We lost a part of our lives” and “We just want peace” because they have to constantly live in fear and miss out on many opportunities if the countries were to work together. These people have had to live in fear ever since Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2015.

The problem isn’t the people of Russia. Carnegie Moscow Center reports it is more about their leader Putin and the other Soviet Elites that rule alongside him. It is as simple as they grew up with spoils expecting the rule of all of the Soviet Union including Ukraine, then it all collapsed. The Soviet Union fell apart and they want it back, they crave that power. According to Mark Galeotti of VOX, Putin wants to put his name in the history books as a Russian hero by restoring control. Mark claims in fact the people of Russia would not support this and want peace, but with the power of propaganda and fake news, they will believe what’s right. Mark believes he would convince most Russians that it was necessary to liberate them from democracy. So neither the Russians nor Ukraine is to blame for the conflict, just a power-hungry corrupt leader. However, Putin knows that if he attacks Ukraine NATO, an alliance including 30 countries including the United States, will step in.