(NewsNation Now) — Mariia Shuvalova, a Ukrainian scholar and lecturer at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla-Academy, said she fled Kyiv Thursday as Russia attacked, but is considering going back to defend her country.
“We understand that we have to do something, no one will fight instead of us,” Shuvalova said on “NewsNation Prime.”
She says her family has relocated from the capital city for safety but are closely monitoring the situation in Kyiv to determine if they’ll return.
“My family will join senatorial defense or we will go tomorrow in Kyiv,” Shuvalova said. She hopes that their example of taking responsibility will help allies to “also to take responsibility for what is going on right now in Europe.”
Shuvalova says many of her students including their parents, are joining the army to fight for the sovereign nation.
“Young people are ready because we have eight years of experience having severe war. It was Russia,” she said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed so far in the Russian invasion of his country. Currently, explosions can be heard from the capital as Russia is pressing near its outskirts.
She says she’s confident in the Ukrainian army, but says she is “preparing for worst and hoping for the best.”
Shuvalova says what her country needs right now is more support from allies and Ukrainian government along with severe sanctions on Russia.
The U.N. Security Council is set to vote Friday on a resolution that would condemn Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine “in the strongest terms.” It also would demand an immediate halt to Russia’s invasion and the withdrawal of all Russian troops.