Ukraine Through The Eyes of David Bonior - A Conversation with Eden Erickson and Sarah Farnsworth

David Bonior is a former Congressman who represented Michigan's 12th and 10th Districts in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977 to 2002 and served as the Democratic House Whip from 1991 to 2002. He spoke with us soon after his return from Ukraine to which he led a delegation that included Father Peter Daly; Dr. Eric Trupin, professor and psychiatrist at UW-Seattle; Bob Wood, professor at Ukrainian Catholic University; Brian Brady, education advocate and innovator; and, Emilia Rutkovska, lawyer and Ukrainian activist. As a private individual, Bonior has traveled to Ukraine twice since the start of the 2022 unprovoked illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia to bear witness of the impact of the war on Ukraine’s citizens.  This interview was conducted by phone on April 19th. It has been edited for clarity.

When you hear the word "Ukraine" what do you think of?

I think of my grandfather who migrated from a small Ukrainian village called Stetsva near the Romanian border in 1912 to Canada and then onto Detroit, Michigan. I lived with my mother, father and grandfather in Hamtramck, Michigan and was raised in the Polish-Ukrainian community outside Detroit. My grandfather and I spent a lot of time together and attended cultural events which imbued me with an interest in Ukrainian culture and history.

Second, the word Ukraine evokes the Holodomor, a term derived from the Ukrainian words for hunger (holod) and extermination (mor). It was man-made famine which caused the death of millions of Ukrainians in 1932 to 1933 as a result of targeted Soviet policies against Ukraine. The memory of those years can still be felt in Ukraine today.

And finally, I think of the fight for survival. I wake up with it in the morning and go to bed with it at night. I think about it constantly.

What were your general impressions from your most recent trip?

I knew from past trips that Ukrainians were smart, tough, and resilient. This is what has kept them, as a people, alive. It’s still impressive, though now, Ukrainians are weary which is unsurprising. They are up against a lot, the world’s second largest military which is supported by China and India among others. But Ukrainians are still determined. They still believe they can win, for the most part.

On the trip, the delegation and I were allowed access to a training camp. We learned that in training a soldier needs to shoot at least 1000 rounds to develop the muscle memory needed to go into combat. The Ukrainian military only has about 100 rounds per recruit available for training, which is not nearly enough. The Ukrainians are using ‘DuckTape’ support until the US passes the military aid package. They have waited over 6 months for it and yet they still remained strong.

You’ve traveled to Ukraine twice since the 2022 unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia; once in 2023 on a listening tour and recently to bear witness of the trauma endured by the Ukrainian people, students, faith leaders, NGOs, and military personnel and to explore the mental health challenges which impact all Ukrainians. What changes did you observe between these two visits?

I was very impressed by the groups of students that we met both last year and this year. Last year, their passion for supporting the war was strong, and they were all involved in some sort of club or organization to support the war effort. This year, their views remain the same, however, it was much more evident to me that they are very worried about their future. They don’t know if they’ll have one. They wonder if they are doing enough for the war effort as students and feel an overwhelming sense of guilt.

About 95% of students at the university were women and they worry constantly about their friends, brothers, fathers, and uncles on the front lines. Several of the students spoke about survivor's guilt. More this year than last, I recognized the critical need for mental health support.

Click here to access short videos of the students at the Ukrainian Catholic University speaking about mental health.

There’s a stigma around mental illness within the country. What is being done to strengthen the acceptance of mental health assistance and break the stigma of seeking help in Ukraine?

Something very significant surrounding mental health in the country has happened since the invasion; the Ukrainian Catholic Church has decided that priests and other church leaders need psychological training to recognize signs of deteriorating mental health in their congregation and refer or recommend mental health assistance. This is a breakthrough on the part of the church.

I was particularly impressed with students at the Ukrainian Catholic University who have established a network of young people to connect the community with individuals working in mental health and providing support.

We visited Save Ukraine, an NGO founded by Mykola Kuleba, former Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights (2014-2021), which is focused on assisting families and children affected by war. It offers a comprehensive rescue network coordinating efforts to evacuate individuals from conflict zones, rebuild their lives, and reunite deported children from Russia. To date they have brought almost 300 kidnapped Ukrainian children home. Save Ukraine has 14 centers throughout Ukraine which offer services, including psychological help for children and their families.

What is your assessment of Ukrainian civil society?

What I was impressed with was the breadth of the growth since 1991 of Ukrainian civil society. I knew the great job Caritas had done in Poland when the invasion began in February 2022. Caritas was at the border, taking people in, providing shelter, basic needs and they did this all without refugee camps. They have since expanded in the country and now have about 30 centers around Ukraine. And, most importantly, the new director is really passionate about the idea of getting the church more abreast with modern psychology to help those who are dealing with mental health effects from the war.

How can Americans support people living in Ukraine?

The aid package will be a huge help. And I was glad to be able to come back from my trips to Ukraine and speak with Congress to make a case for it. My wife and I also continue to give to organizations that are providing aid to those still in Ukraine and we encourage people to give to if they can. It allows organizations to get aid to individuals living in Ukraine and those in combat what they need as directly and as quickly as possible. I encourage everyone to consider a donation to Razom Ukraine; the Ukrainian Catholic University; and/or Misha’s Angels (Donations can be made via PayPal mishasangels11@gmail.com or Zelle: (586) 216-3012.  Please send a message at mishasangels11@gmail.com if you would like to mail a check.).