A FLINTSHIRE man has shared his view on the tensions between Russia and Ukraine after he was caught in problems back in 2013.
Tensions continue to rise on the borders of Ukraine where Russia is now believed to have massed 130,000 troops which is potentially enough to invade.
Russ Williams is the former World Kickboxing Champion and runs gyms in Caerwys and Wrexham,
He has taught self-defence and martial arts in Ukraine, where at the end of 2013 he was caught in the protests in Kyiv which he says was the beginning of the troubles in the country.
He explained: “I was in the middle; I had an apartment and I went over for there for teaching. The teaching was cancelled and that was when the riots in the main square started.
“I felt so sorry for the people of Ukraine because they’ve had so many problems in the past with Chernobyl which they’re still suffering from and it’s a relatively poor country so to have this on it I felt really sorry them.
“It’s a big worry but it’s been going on since 2013.”
Russ also has friends in Ukraine, who he says think nothing will come of issues between Russia and Ukraine and are just trying to get on with their lives despite the worries. He says that they think there may be trouble on the eastern borders however that area has had trouble before.
He added: “In the last few years it has settled down because when it first went on, the Russian speaking ones in Ukraine were annoyed because the president had been overthrown and there wasn’t a proper election so the country was split and it was really bad and the government that took over were saying that they weren’t allowed to speak Russian.
“Things had settled down but now its kicked in again so I feel sorry for them again. Hopefully it all settles down.
“I’ve been speaking to (his friends) regular since I was last there. I would have been going over the year that covid struck. I’d booked to go over there again to do some courses; self-defence and martial arts so I was going to back but covid struck. I was thinking of going back this summer but with everything I don’t know if I will.
“If it settles down again I definitely will be going over. I’m the same as them, I hope nothing comes of it because there’s been enough damage done already.”
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