“The Ukrainians are not going to give in. The Ukrainians are going to win.” This is the feeling of Pascal Boiteux, a Frenchman living in kyiv interviewed this Sunday evening on franceinfo. Married to a Ukrainian, he has not wanted to leave kyiv for two months. His son, who also has Ukrainian nationality, cannot leave the country, he is a student and can be mobilized. “People are going back to a more or less normal life”, testifies Pascal Boiteux. They are “returned to work”but they are “galvanized”.
franceinfo: To what is life like today in Kyiv ?
Pascal Boiteux : Life resumed two weeks ago. People started to come back. It’s much quieter. It is not comparable with what we had before, with strikes and missiles which were sent by the soldiers who were about twenty kilometers from kyiv. Now it’s missiles that are being sent from Russia. We’ve only had two or three so far. It is not comparable. People are going back to a more or less normal life.
Are the stores open, are they busy. Is it easy to find food?
It was always easy to find something to eat. We always found gasoline. However, very few stores are open. The food stores are, the rest very little. There are very few restaurants open. People still remain cautious and try not to endanger their employees knowing that we can receive a missile on the head at any time.
Have the Ukrainians returned to work?
Many Ukrainians need to return to work. Some sectors have resumed their activity. Some others, no. The Ukrainians understood that the situation was going to last, that it was not going to end overnight. The front is still just as active on the side of the Russians and on the side of the Ukrainians. I have information that says that the Ukrainians are defending themselves very well, especially since they have received equipment and help from foreign trainers.
“We know it will last over time. So we have to go back to a normal life. We have to start earning money again because Ukrainians don’t have that much savings.”
Pascal Boiteuxat franceinfo
In what state of mind are the inhabitants of kyiv that you meet? Is there a form of weariness in the face of this war or are they galvanized by the setbacks of the Russian army?
All the Ukrainians I meet are galvanized, want to fight, want to fight, want to win. They were horrified by the behavior of the Russian soldiers, the abuses, the war crimes, the genocides. They rebel. They want to fight. They want to win. What is most important is to win. I am in contact with young people who have gone to the front. I promise you they have a terrible aggressiveness. They won’t give in. The Ukrainians are not going to give in. It is a fighting people. They have the means to fight. The Ukrainians will win. It’s a story of time.
Are the inhabitants armed in the street?
Of course, all the men are armed, with military costumes. All Ukrainians are fighting. All Ukrainians joined the defense committees. There are roadblocks every hundred meters where they search cars and ask you for ID. It’s a city under siege, but still trying to have as normal a life as possible. Because it will take some getting used to.