Know and love Ukraine. My country needs your help

Valentyna Fesenkova graduated from Kyiv National University and worked in the Center of Clinical Immunology in Kyiv as a Senior Scientist. In 2008, she came to the United States and worked with the National Institute on Aging and National Cancer Institute. She now lives in Augusta and works for Augusta University's Georgia Cancer Center.

I am Ukrainian and am proud of that. It is my war and my battlefield. My heart is filled with pain and desperation.

The whole world saw horrifying pictures from Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv. It was a beautiful city with happy families and laughing children. But now, life now is divided into "before" and "after," and will never be the same.

The Russians came to our land and brought sorrow. They committed crimes not seen since WWII. Now every person in the world knows about the “Bucha massacre.”

Russians were killing children, adults: whole families. They were killing parents in front of their children. Women were raped and they tried to burn their bodies.

Who are the Nazis here? The atrocities committed by Russians shocked the world. How many lives could they take next? What will we see in Mariupol after the siege? The city has now about 150,000 people. The world is trembling.

More from Valentyna Fesenkova:Russia cannot defeat the spirit and the people of Ukraine

In my opinion, those who are silent right now, those who can’t make up their minds on what they think at this point... It means they agree with this war, with killing innocent, with war against children and women. Who can forgive Russia? Nobody. Ukrainians will tell their children and grandchildren and further on about this horror. It is what Putin did! There won’t be any forgiveness.

I would like to continue to tell you about Ukraine and Ukrainians. I want you to love Ukraine as I do. The world already knows Ukrainians as heroes, not just their army, but regular Ukrainians too. The courage of Ukrainians has stunned the world.

Can you imagine an endless field of sunflowers until the horizon? That is Ukraine. Ukraine is the largest exporter of sunflower oil in the world. These flowers are a national symbol. They are so beautiful and can brighten a day as they absorb sunlight, following the sun throughout the day.

Have you seen the beautiful Carpathian Mountains in the west, which are considered "the Green Pearl of Ukraine?" To hear the rivers rushing for ages through the mountains... And in wintertime all that turns into ski resorts. That is Ukraine.

Do you hear waves crashing on the shore rocks? That is Crimea. One of the most famous symbols of Crimea is the castle “Swallow’s Nest.” It is a castle built on the edge of a rock and provides a great view of the sea. It is Ukraine.

Russia illegally annexed it in 2014, stepping again on Crimean Tatars' freedom. Do you know that Stalin in 1944 gave an order to deport most of the women, children and elderly from Crimea to several thousand kilometers away within three days?

Nearly 8,000 Crimean Tatars died during the deportation, while tens of thousands perished subsequently due to the harsh exile conditions. The Crimean Tatar exile resulted in the abandonment of 80,000 households and 360,000 acres of land. An intense campaign of “detatarization” to erase remaining traces of Crimean Tatar existence followed.

Isn’t it similar to what is happening now? “Denazification” of the whole nation! Hitler, Stalin and Putin are criminals!

The latest news:Mariupol mayor calls Russian siege 'the new Auschwitz,' says more than 5,000 civilians have been killed: Live Ukraine updates

Russian can’t understand that from Lviv to Donetsk (west to east), there is no difference. It is all Ukraine! There are no Nazis. There are people with great hospitality and big heart.

Traditionally, they will greet a stranger with bread and salt. But if this stranger has a weapon, Ukrainians will stand up, from west to east, from north to south.

Those who came with a sword will fall by the sword. Free people of the free land, there is no born person who can make Ukrainians slaves. We will withstand everything. As the president of Ukraine said, “Ukraine was a beautiful country, now it will be a great country!” 

Always remember that nobody has a right to take somebody’s life. It is precious, given us from above. Russia has violated human morals and human law. They should be stopped.

If you want to contribute to the Ukrainian Army and to be a part of the world effort to defeat Putin’s madness and to save the lives of millions of people, please donate to the organization COME BACK ALIVE at www.comebackalive.in.ua/