NOTE: This article may not be appropriate for young people. If a news article is upsetting, it should be read with a trusted adult who can answer questions and concerns.
On Thursday, Russian troops invaded Ukraine. In this case, “invaded” means entered and attacked with its military.
Russia’s leader is President Vladimir Putin. Most people believe he invaded Ukraine to help make Russia more powerful.
Thirty countries including Canada, the United States and the UK are part of a group called NATO. They are against Russia’s actions toward Ukraine. (Russia is not part of NATO.)
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, announced yesterday that his country has “imposed sanctions” on Russia. In this case, that means stopping the normal flow of money, goods and services in order to hurt Russia’s economy. Many other countries, including Canada, are also imposing economic sanctions on Russia.
Economic sanctions punish a country by cutting off its supply of money and consumer goods. They will also help to cut off money to some of Russia’s richest people as well as government and military leaders. That will make it harder for Russia to function normally.
The Canadian government is helping any Canadians who are in Ukraine leave the country to come back home. It has also sped up the process for Ukrainians who want to come to Canada. Other countries are doing the same.
“We stand united and steadfast in our support of Ukraine’s sovereignty. And we stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people’s right to decide their own future in a free and democratic state,” Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday.
THINK & DISCUSS
- News about the Russian invasion of Ukraine is “breaking.” That means events are still unfolding. During breaking news, it’s important to watch out for misinformation (fake news, or lies) online. This is especially true when events are political or they involve people who have different points of view. All of those things are the case with the Russia/Ukraine situation. In this case, it’s important to avoid sharing news unless you know it is from a credible source. What are other ways you can avoid sharing “fake news”?
2. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he supports Ukraine’s “sovereignty.” Before you look it up, what do you think that word means? How did you know what it means? Now look it up–does the word mean what you thought it meant? How does it apply to these events?
3. How do you feel about the events? Speak with a trusted adult about your concerns or questions about Russia and Ukraine.
LINKS
Excellent article by News-o-Matic: https://app.newsomatic.net/2022/2/21/2-ukraine/?edition=2432&t=1fe84795-2d0d-4ba7-b9ee-43904e71f1ec
CTV article about Canadian sanctions against Russia: https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/canada-announces-new-sanctions-against-russia-this-is-what-they-re-targeting-1.5794290
New’s Decoder’s article featuring its correspondents outlining why we should care about Russia/Ukraine events: https://news-decoder.com/why-we-all-need-to-care-about-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/
CBC Kids News article includes historical information: https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/russia-declared-war-on-ukraine.-heres-why
