War at a distance: How the conflict in Ukraine has impacted lives worldwide
World
War at a distance: How the conflict in Ukraine has impacted lives worldwide
(AFP) - Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has not only upended the lives of ordinary Ukrainians and devastated their country. It has also stoked fear and anxiety in places far beyond Ukraine’s borders, altering mindsets, consumer habits and friendships. FRANCE 24 asked its social media followers how a year of war in Ukraine has impacted their daily lives.
Global concern
Despair, anxiety and unanswered questions about the future state of the world were all common themes among FRANCE 24’s social media followers. Although compared to the distress of the Ukrainian people, the worries of outsiders are minor, many people around the world have struggled psychologically since the war’s outbreak.
An American Twitter user and avid news consumer who wished to remain anonymous said he worried whether the world would ever go back to a “normal state”.
“Who does not have anxiety about this, when Vladimir Putin is constantly rattling his nuclear weapon sabre?” he asked. “Of course, everyone all around the world must hope and believe that he is bluffing, but likewise, we must also worry: What if someday he ISN'T bluffing?”
Darinka from Slovakia told FRANCE 24 on Twitter that she is “scared” of the threat of nuclear war and especially worried that her home country could be next on Putin’s invasion list. “When war started, we [Darinka and her family] stared at the TV all day long for several weeks and were very scared if it would also hit Slovakia or Poland,” she said.
Mental health experts warn that consuming war news comes with a cost in terms of anxiety and depression. Darinka said the obsessive news consumption eventually caused too much anxiety, so she limited herself to “only a few times a day”. An anonymous Australian Instagram user echoed this, saying he found himself feeling involved in the war despite knowing it “is many thousands of miles from [him]”. He added: “I started having dreams of myself in war situations like those I had seen on TV.”
Changed relationships
Physical separation, friendship breakups and distress: the war in Ukraine has changed relationships around the globe. Friends with conflicting views on the conflict have had to face tough conversations, sometimes ending the friendship altogether.
Yuni from Saitama, Japan, said he lost a close friend of Russian origin after posting pro-Ukrainian content on social media. “It was so sad at first. I could've held back my take in order not to make my friend feel bad, but I don't want to be hypocritical,” he explained. At the same time, Yuni became closer to his Ukrainian friend Diana, who thanked him for the post.
Fleur from the Netherlands told FRANCE 24 on Instagram that she is worried about her close Ukrainian friend, Gordon, who was recently required to pass a medical examination for the military. As Gordon waits to be called for combat, Fleur is hoping he will return to the Netherlands somehow.
“Overall, a lot of emotions and fear to see my direct friend joining this terrible war, where he would literally fight against his own cousin and uncle, who have enrolled in the Russian army,” she said.
Allan from Denmark agonised over the fate of his Ukrainian girlfriend at the beginning of the war before she escaped to Poland. Allan, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, says he used to panic every time he heard of fresh Russian strikes on the news, impatiently waiting for news of his girlfriend’s safety. As stress is closely related to worsening MS symptoms, the situation eventually had an unwelcome health impact on Allan.
“I did not notice the sclerosis attack, but doctors could see it when they scanned my brain. But it happened when [she] disappeared,” he recalled. “It later turned out that her building was bombed, and she was hiding at her grandparents'.”
Facebook user Susan keeps up with what her Ukrainian colleague and pen pal of 20 years Valery posts on social media to know how she is doing. “It was kind of unreal, talking to someone online while they had missiles going overhead, and they were hiding in their basement,” she said.
Economic impact
The unprecedented challenge to the world economy has arguably been the most widespread impact of the war. Blocked exports, suspended Russian gas and financial uncertainty have triggered historic inflation, reducing citizens’ purchasing power. With global inflation hitting roughly 9 percent in 2022, according to the OECD’s Economic Outlook, FRANCE 24 followers from different corners of the world said the war’s financial impact has altered their daily habits.
Twitter user Steve from Zimbabwe said that the war-induced inflation in his country, estimated by the World Bank to average 213 percent in 2022, coupled with the existing financial hardship there, has forced him to cut back on certain foods, social activities and vacations.
