Protester Sofiya Pylypenko moved to Canada 12 years ago but still has family

In Kharkiv, Ukraine, just 40 kilometres from a Russian border.

She said following Putin’s address Thursday, she began getting calls from family telling her tanks were coming in and explosions had started. She said it’s encouraging to see Ukraine step up to defend itself but hopes more support from other nations is coming.

"We shouldn’t be fighting this alone," she said.

Yaroslav Broda, vice−president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’s Edmonton branch, said the rally in front of the Alberta legislature Thursday would be an opportunity for people from the community to come together and raise awareness about Russian aggression happening in Ukraine for years.

“This is about solidarity, because there is not much we can do being where we are,” he said.

Broda said he has aunts, uncles and cousins living outside the capital city of Kyiv. The 28−year−old said his cousins, who are about his age with children, have fled the area, but family members of his parents’ generation have decided to stay.

He said the tensions with Russian had been intensifying and cooling off over the last decade and people on the ground were becoming desensitized to the conflict. “I’m sure there was a lot of head−shaking this morning,” Broda said. “They went to bed thinking it was just another day living next door to Russia, but now they have realized it has gone off.”

Michael Shwec, the head of the Quebec branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, said the whole world has a duty to rally behind Ukraine.

He said a failure to act strongly in response to Russian aggression would send a signal to other authoritarian countries and could spell trouble for democracies across the world.

"There is no capitulation. There is no appeasement. It doesn’t work," he said in a phone interview. "Because if we don’t do something now, there are other countries in this world that have very similar ambitions that (Russian President Vladimir Putin) has.

"Today, the free world must rally to the Ukrainians’ cause. Today, anyone who values human rights, democracy and liberty is a Ukrainian."

Shwec called on Canada to respond with the strongest possible sanctions, as well as providing materiel support such as anti−aircraft weapons and naval defence systems. He said his organization will also be meeting with officials at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to discuss plans to resettle Ukrainian refugees who will be looking for a safe place to live.

Dinara, a 24−year−old student from Russia, stood at the Montreal rally holding a small sign reading “Russians against war in Ukraine.” She said she wanted to show her support for her Ukrainian friends but also to protest the war on behalf of other Russians who don’t dare to under Putin’s regime.

“They are not able to protest or do anything in Russia, so I’m standing here for them to protest the government action," she said.

Dinara, who did not want to give her last name because she worries about repercussions against family in Russia, said she believes most Russians oppose war. “We’re not supporting a war, we’re against the regime and that’s the general sentiment I promise," she said. "It’s just that we can’t express it back home

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