Julia Nechaieva, in yellow jacket, a former Haas School of Business MBA, protested alongside several hundred fellow Ukrainians on February 24 outside the San Francisco City Hall. Photo courtesy of Julia Nechaieva
While much of North America and the West woke up February 24 to work emails or class assignments, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians living abroad awoke to messages from family and friends in their home country who were huddled in bomb shelters or basements, listening to air raid sirens, trying to stay safe amid sudden war.
On Friday, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine entered its second day, Poets&Quants reached out to dozens of current and former Ukrainian business school students, many now working around the world. We wanted to hear their reactions, fears, and hopes, as well as what it’s like to watch from afar during an unprecedented attack on their native land.
Most importantly, what could their friends, colleagues, and fellow MBAs do to stand with them?
HOW TO HELP
Most of those who responded urged onlookers to pay attention, show support via social media or by reaching out directly, and advocate for stronger support from their own governments. Several also offered links to verified support organizations working in Ukraine to aid children, families, and others impacted by the war.
“How can you help Ukraine?” asks Oleksiy Rachok, an INSEAD MBA from the class of 2010. “My answer is at least three-fold: (1) Donate money to support Ukrainian military and self-defense forces as they need supplies, medicine and weapons. (2) convince your governments and political parties to take a HARD line against Putin’s regime. And (3) keep supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians in social media and real life. We cannot afford losing interest for this war, even as it will become less intense. Glory to Ukraine and Ukrainians!”
You can find a list of Ukrainian nonprofits helping with relief efforts here. The National Bank of Ukraine has also opened a special account to raise money for Ukraine’s Armed Forces, and you can donate here. On Facebook, a fundraiser titled “MBAs Donate to Ukraine” had raised about $30,000 toward a $50,000 goal by Tuesday (March 1) thanks to donations by 340 people. It is organized by Sergey Krasovski, an MBA candidate at Dartmouth Tuck.
Below, you find the responses of more than a dozen Ukrainian MBAs who responded to our inquiry. They are presented in their own words, edited for length and clarity.
Valentine Zadorin
UC-Berkeley Haas School of Business
Technology Investment Banking at Barclays Investment Bank
Valentine Zadorin
Yesterday, at 4am in the morning, Russia started shelling the country of Ukraine from east to west including my hometown of Odessa. My mother woke up from the sounds of explosions. My 79-years old grandmother had to sleep on the floor because of the bombings. Many civilians have lost their lives over these two horrible days. I do not wish anyone to experience what Ukrainians are living through today and the deepest despair from injustice of this meaningless unprovoked attack.
The Ukrainian nation is as united as ever so my appeal goes to international friends and Russians.
Dear international friends, Ukraine has been continually sneakily attacked over the last 8 years because of our commitment to the democratic and European way of development, but today the Russian regime threw off all the masks.
We demand decisive action from #NATO and #EU to restore peace in the middle of Europe.
-
Introduce a no fly zone over Ukraine. Stop the shellings of Ukrainian civilians by Russian military aircraft.
-
Cut Russia off SWIFT. Europe can live without Russian oil & gas at the price of temporary discomfort but Russia can’t continue wreaking havoc and kill innocent people without European funds.
-
Please help Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid. Send donations to Ukraine. Ukrainians are fighting on behalf of the entire free world right now.
If you sacrifice Ukraine now, the war will continue. Today, Russian officials warned Finland from joining NATO. I leave it to your imagination what might happen next. As a big bully, Russian regime will demand more until they turn the world into turmoil. International community should show aggressive authoritarian regimes that it has the power and the unity to stop wars of aggression.
Lastly, I would like to address arguments used inside and outside of Russia to justify this meaningless bloodshed.
As Hitler accused the Polish government of oppression of ethnic Germans to justify the invasion, the same way propaganda tells Russians about horrible nationalists in Ukraine. That is simply not true. My family and I have been speaking Russian in Ukraine my whole life and continued to do so even after 2014.
Ambitions of Vladimir Putin to turn post-Soviet space into a collection of quasi-autonomous puppet states encountered an obstacle in the face of freedom-loving Ukrainian people. That is true. We are not the same country and we don’t want to be. We do not want to go in the direction Russia is going, which is something I’m certain most of you will agree with me on. We just want to build a prosperous country on our land. That’s our only guilt.
While it’s difficult and scary to go against the current police state that Russia has become, I urge Russians to be brave and free in their mindset. Listen to your hearts and deny the government’s propaganda. Then, you will be just one step away from throwing off the corrupt and murderous regime.
Julia Nechaieva
MBA ‘18, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
Director of Project Management, Twitch
It is a real war happening in Ukraine right now. My mom and family are in Kharkiv, on the border with Russia. They hear explosions and shots, they can feel windows trembling. Local physics university building is damaged, there are unexploded Russian rockets sticking out of the ground where I used to go to school when I was a kid. My family won’t go to a bomb shelter–my grandma can’t walk. Our neighbors are hiding in the basement of a local kindergarten, subway stations are full of people.
Julia Nechaieva
I’m constantly chatting with my mom on Telegram. It helps us both stay sane and know that the Internet connection is still there. There are no more emotions from her side, only dry phrases like “I’ll go to sleep while it’s quiet” and “I protected the windows to avoid getting hurt by glass if it breaks from an explosion.”
My close friend’s family is in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. They see rockets flying, the horizon is lightened up with fire. Last night, they got to a subway station that serves as a shelter 30 minutes before an attack from the air. They later saw videos of Russian army machines moving through the area where they live.
I am lucky to have a network of Ukrainian friends in San Francisco. We are devastated, and feel a mix of helplessness, tremendous desire for this to stop, a strong sense of unity, and confusion of how this can happen in the 21st century. Yesterday, several hundred Ukrainians gathered next to the San Francisco City Hall. We see American cities lighting up buildings in Blue and Yellow, colors of the Ukrainian flag, and it gives us hope that the world sees.
I don’t know what the right reaction from the US should be, I’m not the politician. There are people whose job it is to decide, but I want Americans to know that they can help by calling, writing, and reiterating to their representative that it is very serious, people are getting hurt and there is no sign that it will stop. MBA students, reach out to your Ukrainian classmates, show support and ask them how you can help. Reach out to your Ukrainian co-workers, encourage them to take all the time they need to be with their families even if it is remote. If you have friends in the local media, ask them to come to gatherings of Ukrainians.
Mike Matkovskyi
MBA ‘19, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business
Senior Financial Analyst, AWS Game Tech
The Russian army is invading Ukraine to gain control over the territory of eastern and southern Ukraine to have direct land access to Transnistria and Crimea. I feel frightened. This is exactly what happened to Czechoslovakia in 1938 and the history is repeating itself. Russians will not stop until Ukraine is fully occupied. Unfortunately, EU and NATO will not support Ukraine with weapons (no guarantees as of now) and the only hope is that the Ukrainian army is able to protect the country.
Mike Matkovskyi
I feel like in the next week or so, if there is no cease fire, this conflict will last for years with occupation, constant clashes and thousands of civil casualties. If the conflict continues, there will be millions of people displaced for a long period of time.
Of course, I am frightened and anxious about the situation. I have lots of friends in Ukraine and my mom is in Kyiv. I feel like the western world should be more proactive at helping the Ukrainian army. Otherwise, about 40-50% of Ukraine will be occupied in the first year of conflict. Russia will be able to sustain this war campaign for a long period of time, so this conflict will not end soon.
I am in constant contact with my mom. She is very frightened and I am trying to understand how I can evacuate her to a safe place. My friends are also very frightened and a lot of them are in bomb shelters right now. Not many people have the opportunity to leave big cities and they are preparing for a blockade that can last for months. People are buying food and supermarkets are already empty.
I would like my friends and colleagues to understand that Russia is an aggressor in this conflict. They have annexed our eastern territories and Crimea and now want to occupy the whole country. Even though there are people who are against the war, the majority of the Russian population silently supports the conflict and is not ready to protest against the war and show support towards Ukraine. Ukraine is small compared to Russia, but we will do everything we can to protect our country.
Next Page: More reactions from Ukrainian MBAs
An unexploded Russian rocket sticks out of the street in the city where Ukrainian Julia Nechaieva used to go school. Photo courtesy of Nechaieva who now lives in San Francisco.
Viktor, a 2019 graduate of Cornell Johnson who asked that his last name not be used
I’m currently in Ukraine and of course I have family and friends here. Those who had a chance to send kids and women to western Ukraine did so during the week before the invasion and first days after. But most people are locked in cities and are not safe. Russians don’t have any military ethics, use aircraft and missiles to shoot cities and civilians. On the other hand, our militaries are doing a great job and that’s what actually makes people feel safer. Recent military wins inspire and I think give civil volunteers psychological advantage. Ukrainian militaries and civil defense will surprise you over the next couple of weeks.
Russia won’t be able to install a new regime here, this invasion will not succeed. I think Ukraine will receive more military and financial support over the next years which eventually will make no sense for Russia to attack.
Eastern EU will be stressed. 40% of gas supply comes from Russia and that is not easy to change. Don’t see what else the EU really needs from them. But the partner (Russia) that threatens and blackmails can’t support long term growth and prosperity and I think everyone realized it now. Economy is a complex process which is hard to change, and that is the main reason why it was so hard to convince the EU to impose hard and effective sanctions. But once the economic processes are changed as a result of this conflict, they won’t be willing to change again that easily. Ukrainians will remember!
Volodymyr Tylnyi
MBA ‘20, Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management
Investment Banking Associate at Deutsche Bank, NYC
My parents, brother, and friends are in the Western part of Ukraine in a small town. It’s been relatively quiet so far, but an overhead siren was heard a couple of times. Even though there are no ongoing fights in or near that town, air bombing and missiles have already happened in similar towns, so no guarantee of safety. My friends are in different parts of Ukraine, including Kyiv. Those who are in big cities are scared and threatened. People, including my parents, go to bed fully dressed in case there is an urgency to hide in a bomb shelter. And all of them hope they can survive another day.
Volodymyr Tylnyi
My parents don’t plan to leave. My brother can’t leave (men between 18-60 years old are prohibited from leaving the country). From what I see, it’s mainly women and children who are leaving, but the vast majority of Ukrainians are planning on staying.
Hope (for a quick end) is the only thing I have. I wish this all could end immediately, but I’m afraid, that until Putin gets control over Kyiv (and that’s his goal according to the US intelligence) he won’t stop. Ukrainian government is openly asking for negotiations, but there has been little to no effort from Russia to restart diplomacy. However, I can hardly see a new regime lasting long. Ukrainians will never accept a puppet government, especially after this invasion.
I think it’s worthwhile talking about business in terms of export and import. I think big business is about to face a hard choice: being cynical, and continue doing business with Russia or oppose war and stop/lose business with Russia. I think responsible export business will alter to the second option. On the other hand, Russia is a big exporter–from energy to wheat and other commodities. So, governments and other importers should decide the same question: Are they open to buy from Russia and de-facto justify their invasion and promote war in Europe? Either way, business will take a hit. Sanctions will likely hurt the Russian economy in the long-term, and most likely will affect regular people. Kremlin and Putin will see little to no harm
I hope all the Western World will take more decisive actions to stop Russia and Putin.
Julia Basko
MBA ‘13, University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business
In terms of the war, people in Ukraine will fight to defend their land, the future of their children, their families, and their beliefs and values. Although the Russian army is more equipped, our soldiers and civilians who have chosen to defend their homes are very motivated. I am extremely proud of our Ukrainian army and Ukrainian people. What tough, courageous people! I am sure Mr. Putin did not expect such resistance, but here you go! We count every life lost, all the heroes who sacrificed their lives for Ukraine, and we will never forget.
Julia Basko
I am very disappointed that we are fighting on our own with such a strong army while the whole world is watching from a distance. I am constantly in touch with my friends and relatives in Ukraine. Their reaction is they hate Putin, love Ukraine, afraid for their lives and their future. Many stay at home, some relocated to safer places within Ukraine. There are many of my ex-colleagues who joined national forces to defend their homes, they were trained and are ready to provide the invaders with a cold reception. What is common is that people live in a different reality right now.
All other problems are not important any longer. The reality of bomb shelters replaced the reality of coffee shops, offices, and festivals. It is very stressful and the consequences will be long-lasting. On the other hand, we have never been as united as Mr Putin made us be.
American students and international students might question why the US helps Ukraine and why Ukraine matters. There are a couple of points here to make. First, the US promised to protect Ukraine. The U.S. along with Russia and Great Britain convinced Ukraine to give up the nuclear weapon in 1994, they signed the Budapest Memorandum giving security assurance and promising “to respect the independence and sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine” and “to refrain from the threat or use of force” against the country. Then in 2014, Russia annexed Crimea and invaded Eastern Territories. Russia didn’t keep the promise, but we expected that the US and the UK would.
Second, Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia. If you look at the map, Ukraine is the bridge from Russia to Europe. We have borders with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Moldova. If Russia has control over Ukraine, all these countries will be threatened by Russian aggression.
I would like to add that it is very valuable to get words of support from our fellows, even just a small note: “Hey, my thoughts are with your country, I hope for the best for Ukraine.” It makes a difference! It is painful to see that your beautiful country is torn by an evil enemy and we would like to see that this was at least noticed. Also, there is a legit way to donate to the Ukrainian army. Any amount will be much appreciated. Donation information is here.
Vlad Ilchenko
MBA ‘19, Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business
Senior Product Manager, Walmart eCommerce
Part of my family is leaving the country through Poland while my grandma, grandpa, father-in-law and mother-in-law are staying. They are safe right now outside of Kyiv. Also a lot of my friends are now in Kyiv– the city where I was born and raised and spent 27 years of my life.
I hope the Ukrainian army will stop the Russian offense and retake the initiative, therefore channeling the war into the trenches phase which will be devastating for the Russian government and army. Given Putin’s rhetoric and propaganda, he wants to create a loyal occupational regime in Ukraine by forcefully installing it in Kyiv, which is very ambitious given the national resistance where even people with disabilities are preparing Molotov cocktails to fight in city streets.
The European and global economy will suffer in the short term because of the humanitarian crisis and uncertainty. Energy prices will go up but eventually level out once new supply chains are established and alternative fuel sources to russia are established. The Russian economy will be destroyed in the next month so Russians must go on Red Square and protest to save their children from disaster.
Next Pages: More reactions from Ukrainian MBAs
Relatives of Vadym Trembovetskyi, a former Cornell MBA now living in Germany, huddle in a basement during bombing outside their homes in Ukraine. (Photo courtesy of Vadym Trembovetskyi)
Dima Okhrimchuk
MBA ‘17 UC Berkeley Haas School of Business
CEO & Co-founder at Organization.GG
Russia has been trying to invade Ukraine for the last 8 years, since it annexed Crimea and de-facto occupied Eastern parts of Ukraine in 2014. Since there has never been a strong response from the Western democracies, Russia, led by a psychopathic Putin, is striking its final accord in taking over the whole country in a shameless and cunning war against its so-called brother nation. This is a historical event not only for Ukraine, but for the whole world, since it gives a precedent for other dictator countries to use the same playbook. This will be a new world order and I doubt it will be for the best.
Dima Okhrimchuk
Ukrainian people are fueled by the anger and hate towards Putin, who started a war against a pro-European country with democratic values. We have very brave, dedicated and heroic soldiers fighting and giving their lives for freedom and independence of Ukraine. However, even the “powerful” NATO forces are scared to have a direct confrontation with Russia. Whereas our 13 men said *uck off to a Russian military ship knowing they will be killed immediately (see video below). That said, without an immediate military, financial assistance from the West and NATO troops on the ground, Ukraine may struggle to win this war. I am scared to even think what will happen in this case. And I am on optimist by nature.
These two days have been the toughest days in my life. Watching live reports of my country being torn apart by the Russians is just devastating. This is something I will never forget for the rest of my life. On one hand, I feel guilty for not being there with my family and friends, and on the other hand I understand that I can also contribute by raising funding for the Ukrainian army and raising awareness among my network, etc. I can only hope that this won’t last long and we find a diplomatic solution. There can’t be winners in the war.
All my family and most of my friends are in Ukraine. My dad, who is almost 60, volunteered to join territorial defense forces. I pray for them and peace in Ukraine and hope this ends soon.
Luckily, I have been able to communicate (with friends and family) through messengers. Every 4-6 hours I check in on my parents and get in touch with my friends. I feel relieved whenever they respond. Doesn’t matter what.
NATO alliance, pro-Western democracies WAKE UP!! The Western democracies are already afraid of directly confronting Russia. Putin is going to eat you alive if you don’t act now. It is a matter of time. It took him only 8 years to start invading a “brother” country – Ukraine. Help Ukrainians help YOU maintain the existing, but so fragile, peace in the world.
What can you do to support Ukraine right now? 1. Support Ukrainian soldiers financially. https://www.supportukraine.co/ 2. Demand your politicians to put maximum pressure on Putin’s regime. We need immediate actions, military and financial support. We need a political and a diplomatic solution–we want peace and safety for our families too. Don’t give up on us. We are fighting for you!
Oleksiy Rachok
MBA ‘10, INSEAD
This is a brutal invasion, I can’t find other words for it. Mr. Putin is trying to de-facto restore the Soviet Union, and Ukraine is key for his plans. What he forgets, however, is that Ukrainian hearts are lost for Russia – the full new generation grew up in the independent and democratic country. Even if a bit messy sometimes.
What needs to happen is that the Ukrainian army and self-defense forces have to disrupt Putin’s “Blitzkrieg” strategy. Then time will be on our side – because it is easier to invade Ukraine than to hold it: the vast majority of Ukrainians do NOT support Russia, this is Russia’s wishful thinking.
My sister studies in the U.S. but she came back to Ukraine to do some field work for her PhD a few months ago. And she is still there. I am in touch with her, and she plans to do some volunteering work in Ukraine to support our country.
I am Ukrainian, and Ukraine is very important to me. But this aggression is more than just aggression against Ukraine, this is an attack on the global order and rule of international law. I understand why NATO is reluctant to send troops to Ukraine – Russia’s ruler is desperate enough to start the nuclear war. But I see no excuses in not punishing the regime otherwise and crippling it economically. And so far the world’s answer has been quite timid: more words than actions. The world has to stop doing any business with Russia, strategically. And, in the short term, keep supporting Ukraine which is fighting its uphill battle alone.
Vlad Miretsky
MBA ‘16, Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management
Both my parents and my in-laws are in Ukraine. They are currently safe but we’re extremely worried about them since my family in Kyiv looks to soon be in danger with the recent advances of the occupant forces. My wife’s and my parents are 60+ but none of them are planning to leave–it’s their country, not Putin’s. Besides, with the country full of Russian occupants, it’s way more dangerous now to move around the country than to stay put.
Obviously, Putin’s end goal is to topple the government in Kyiv and establish a puppet regime. However, that would result in a prolonged internal conflict and guerilla warfare. Ukrainians aren’t some “neo-nazis”, they just want to live in their own country and elect their own government. We don’t want to go back to the USSR. Russians aren’t welcome and a lot of Ukrainians (even among civilians) are armed and willing to fight till the bitter end. So any quick and real end to the conflict is possible only in the diplomatic realm.
It’s really hard to tell the exact toll now, but clearly the Ukrainian economy will soon be on the brink of collapsing. Ukraine is also a major wheat producer and with that supply we’re going to see more famine threats around the world. Regionally, Ukraine is an important partner in machine-building, chemicals etc. and the war is already causing supply chain disruptions at e.g. VW factories.
Ukraine’s fight against Russian occupants is not just some conflict between ex-Soviet republics. It’s the fight of the progressive and democratic part of the world against totalitarianism and fascism. We’ve already seen this with Hitler occupying Austria and Czechoslovakia on similar pretexts. Putin will not stop in Ukraine. Once he gets closer to NATO borders, you can expect sabotages and possible military action in Eastern Europe.
Why is the world turning a blind eye?! Any effort at appeasement or mild response is an invitation for Putin to proceed. We’ve seen this time and time again. He is a thug but he’s not reckless – he will back down when faced with force and strong deterrence. So this is not the time to think about the stock market or price at the pump. The future of our world is at stake. And I’m sure no one wants to go back in time to where it’s ok for a stronger country to just capture their smaller neighbor by force. Harsh sanctions should be enacted now–Putin’s fascist regime should be cut off from SWIFT and face an oil/gas embargo.
Long live Ukraine and its heroes!
Vadym Trembovetskyi
MBA ‘18, Cornell’s Johnson School of Management
What happening is that Putin could not accept the fact that a) USSR has collapsed and b) Ukraine could be a “bad example” for Russians of a country that, despite the previous president Yanukovich was “overthrown”, could do the reforms and prosper. If Putin would have not launched the current scenario, he could be overthrown in his own country, which is the most important thing to him.
I am not a military strategist, but I think that the next couple of weeks will be the most important. If Ukrainians show we can resist, it will spoil Putin’s whole plan. The longer Putin fights, the harder it becomes for him to keep justifying the war tor his population. That is why supporting Ukraine NOW is critical. People at his country are rising up (e.g.Russian standing up and about 2,000 people supporting Ukraine were arrested in Russia) and we should all use this opportunity.
No words can describe our feelings. My family–myself, my wife, and my son–have been living in Frankfurt (Germany) for 2-plus years. It’s very hard to stay here in Germany and attend meetings in support of Ukraine (that do not help at this point). I consider coming back to Ukraine and joining the Ukrainian army.
I could not reach all of my family in Ukraine as wifi becomes not available; mobile internet is not working properly. People are hiding in cellars to avoid bombings. Occasionally, they get out outside for a quick chat.
I’d appreciate if American and fellow business students could do the following:
-
Bring to the attention of the US policymakers the issue of the Ukrainian war.
-
Arranging/attending the peaceful demonstrations in support of Ukraine.
-
Demanding cutting off Russia from SWIFT. Why? It is one of the most severe actions against Russia. We do not have much time. Because it will make the Russian population more willing to go out on the Russian streets and demand stopping the war.
I personally think that the West (US + EU) did not do enough to stop the war. I understand that Russia is an important global player on the energy market, but what the West is doing now is postponing the war with Russia in exchange for Ukrainian soldiers and good energy prices. For example, today Russian government folks have issued their concern that Finland started doubting its non-NATO status. What’s next for Russia? Taking Alaska back?
In order to stop Russian invasion the West needs to do the following:
-
Protect the Ukrainian air space. It means using the NATO weapon to destroy the Russian
military planes. -
Disconnect russia from SWIFT and consider even more harsh sanctions (as Ukraine
does not have much resources to resist). -
Send NATO troops to Ukraine. If the West does not do that, Putin will move to other EU
countries.
Katya Bobrova
Katya Bobrova
MBA ‘20, INSEAD
Investment Banking Associate at Morgan Stanley
It is quite clear that Russians were hoping to establish control over Ukraine in a blitzkrieg style. And as we can see, it didn’t quite go as planned. One key advantage that Ukrainians have is that we are fighting for our country and on our land. I really admire our President Zelenskiy (who comes from my hometown of Kryvyi Rih) who has proved himself as an outstanding leader and patriot, and I don’t think that Ukrainians will accept any forcefully established government in any case.
Regardless of how the war ends, if anyone has been paying attention to Ukraine’s political dynamics over the last 20 years or so, it will not be a walk in the park for anyone who tries to seize power in a non-democratic way. What I can see now, what I hear from my family and friends is a truly defiant spirit towards Russian aggression. Our country has never been more united than now.
Russia’s economy has certainly taken a big hit. The sanctions against Russia unlikely to be catastrophic for their economy in the short term. But the longer term effects of the sanctions will be meaningful. Especially devastating will probably be the tech component of the sanctions, i.e. limiting access to high tech imports, including various components that are not easy to source elsewhere or manufacture internally. Unfortunately, given the authoritarian nature of the Russian regime, the economic situation or welfare of Russian people are not something that the Russian President is pre-occupied with as this doesn’t not affect his tenure at the office (as would be the case in a democratic society).
I don’t see a massive disruption to Europe from side effects of the sanctions against Russia; the most immediate impacts will relate to oil and gas supplies and other commodity prices.
It is almost impossible to think about anything else. I am very worried about my family and friends. We are still in shock and in disbelief that Russia, our neighbours and brotherly nation, could invade our country. A normal text from a friend in Ukraine now contains such phrases as “we have spent last night in a bunker”, “there is a bomb that hit a house near my home”, “there has been non-stop shelling”. This is scary, heart-breaking and sickening to see the reports of loss of human lives and damage done to our country.
My family and my friends are staying in the country, only those with little children have left Ukraine so far. They are hoping for the best, but also ready to fight for our country.
Kateryna Markova
MBA ‘19, IESE Business School
Senior Strategic Sourcing Manager at Amazon
All my family is in Kiev right now. They are extremely stressed and terrified, the sounds of explosions and air raid alarms taking turns. My close friends took their kids and left to smaller cities hoping that it’s safer, but there is no safe place currently in Ukraine, Russian army actions are unpredictable. Putin said that military operations would be only in the Eastern Ukraine, but they are attacking the whole country without exception.
Kateryna Markova
On 24 February, Ukrainian president declared mobilization, meaning that men at the age of 18-60 are not allowed to leave the country. For us it means that my younger brother and my dad can’t leave the country and my mum will never go without them. They are staying and will spend this night at a shelter.
We all hope that conflict will end soon but we don’t see a clear path to the solution. Ukraine is alone in this war; most countries continue expressing deep concerns, impose light sanctions and don’t realize the real scale of the threat. From 2014 experience, we know that sanctions don’t work against Russia. Yes, their economy will struggle, but Russian people won’t go on the streets and if they do, the government will take measures like ithas in Belarus recently.
Putin will calm down if there is a pro-Russian government in Kyiv, but it’s not possible, not for Ukrainians. We want to live in a democratic country, we proved this during two revolutions and we just can’t turn back. Ukrainians will fight till the end but won’t accept Putin’s regime in Kyiv.
It’s difficult to say what long-term implications there will be to business and finance in Eastern Europe, as there are still too many unknowns like conflict duration or infrastructure condition after the war ends. A lot will depend on financial support from other countries and the ability of the Ukrainian government to attract investors back to the country.
Vadim, MBA ‘22 who doesn’t want to use his full name
My family is (in Ukraine). They are safe. But they don’t want to leave, because they are afraid that they will never be able to return.
The conflict will end quickly, if the US and EU think about long-term solutions, rather than short term. If Russia takes Kiev, it will install a new government over the controlled area. It will have 101% of popular support.
Russia is ready for sanctions. Also, China has announced a partnership without limits. It will alleviate sanctions. The implications to Eastern Europe, Russia, and Western Europe will be the same. Energy prices will be high, as Russia needs to pay military bills.
DON’T MISS: UKRAINIAN B-SCHOOL PROFF: ‘THE WORLD SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT RUSSIA FAILS’ AND ‘I LOST SEVERAL FRIENDS’: MBA VETERANS REFLECT ON THE END OF THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
The post War: From Ukrainian MBAs, Harrowing Stories & Vows Of Support For A Homeland Under Attack appeared first on Poets&Quants.