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.
“I can’t afford to go on a vacation any more,” he said. “I used to hang out with friends every weekend for some drinks, which isn't possible any more, and we do that once in a blue moon now since the war began.”
With inflation in Japan the highest since 1991, Instagram user Yuta from Saitama also substitutes his daily purchases for cheaper goods in response to rising prices. However, Yuta points out that local “polls suggest that the majority of Japanese are fine with higher costs” because they agree with the sanctions put on Moscow.
Kumar from Malaysia and Lusungu from Malawi both told FRANCE 24 that prices for wheat and oil, up respectably 60 percent and 29 percent globally, according to Statista, have surged since the war. Kumar substitutes sunflower oil with palm oil, even though he doesn’t like it nor “thinks it is healthy”. But Kumar says he has “no choice now, given the price disparity”.
Instagram user Dahlia, who lives in France, pointed out that the conflict has not only impacted human food supplies but also those of their four-legged furry friends. Pet owners were already faced with frequent pet-food shortages since the Covid-19 pandemic caused supply chain disruptions and labour shortages, says the Pet Food Institute. But ingredient shortages and inflation caused by the war have prolonged the issue, says cat and dog owner Dahlia, who consistently finds supermarket shelves half empty. She notes that grain-rich kibble, in particular, is often out of stock.
Share your experience
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has undoubtedly had more far-reaching consequences than anyone could have imagined before the war’s outbreak. How about you? How has the conflict impacted your daily life? Share your experiences with us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
