War crystalizes young Ukrainian leaders’ calls for a future aligned with Europe – By Franco Ordonez (NPR) / April 17, 2022
KYIV, UKRAINE — Along with the election of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a new generation of young leaders entered Ukraine’s politics following the mass protests that toppled a pro-Russian president in 2014.
These young politicians have few memories of life under Soviet rule — and they say the war has accelerated their efforts to push for a more Europe-focused future.
“As a country, we are actually very prepared for this kind of war in terms of psychologically,” said Alyona Shkrum, after ducking under a barbed wire-covered checkpoint in the government quarter. “Because we know very well why we are doing it and why we are protecting our country.”
Walking past sand bags and anti-tank barricades, the 34-year-old member of parliament explains this moment is a continuation of what young people like her have been fighting for since the Maidan revolution eight years ago that ousted Ukraine’s pro-Russia leader, Viktor Yanukovych.
