As the conflict escalates in Ukraine, people all around the world continue to feel angry, upset, and frustrated. This crisis is not only affecting people’s feelings, but the way they live their lives. Since November of 2013, Ukraine and Russia have been in disagreement over Crimea.  Everyone is being affected in different ways all around the world over the crisis in Ukraine and the fight over Crimea. Starting in November of 2013, Ukraine and Russia have been in disagreement over Crimea. Mass protests had begun in November and an agreement was then signed between Ukraine and the European Union. Following this, a rally had begun with thousands of people at the Independence Square in Ukraine and many people had been killed after being asked to leave the Independence Square by police. Towards the end of January 2014, the President had accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Mykola Azoroz and the Cabinet. In the beginning of February, President Viktor Yanukovych agreed to form a coalition government which led to anger of the citizens and massive bloodshed. Towards the middle of February, Yanukovych agreed to the withdrawal of Kiev Special Forces and the Ukrainian Congress voted for return of the Constitution in 2004. Following, Yanukovych fled Ukraine on February 24th and Oleksandr Turchynov was assigned as acting president. On February 27th, the new Ukrainian government had been recognized by the European Union and the United States, and so began the crisis in Ukraine. Larisa Zayaruznaya, an immigrant from Ukraine who is currently residing in Connecticut, says that the situation has affected her life in a personal way. “It makes me worried because I never expected that anything like this could ever happen in Ukraine or Russia,” said Zayaruznaya. “I grew up and lived in Ukraine for 35 years and still keep in contact with family there.” Many people all over the world are, in some way, being affected by the crisis in Ukraine in many different ways, shapes, and forms.               The big question that has been on people’s minds is whether Crimea should be part of Russia or continue to remain a part of Ukraine. Some argue that Crimea should remain a part of Ukraine due to political and economical reasons. Others believe that Crimea should be a part of Russia because that is where is used to be until the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. “Crimea is a beautiful area and would be better off, financially, if it were a part of Russia,” says Zayaruznaya. Others, like American, Christopher Tomlin, who works at Woodland Regional High School, said that he does not really know whether Crimea should or shouldn’t be a part of Russia. “There is no fair vote and no climate where you can have free and open voting,” Tomlin says. One comcern is whether Crimea becoming a part of Ukraine or Russia has been rushed. Tomlin and Ratina both seem to think that the process was rushed and that people have not really had a chance to think what it would mean for Crimea to become a part of Russia.  People are forced to draw conclusions before they have even had time to figure out what is actually going on. Many people’s opinions could have changed if they would have had a chance to get more information and have more time to process what is going on. When protests had first begun in Ukraine, many did not expect it to steamroll into the situation it is today. Some would say that in a political sense, they thought there could be a possibility of something happening, but nobody expected the violence. Others just didn’t think anything would happen. Tomlin says that he did think that the regions would potentially split, but did not think anything major would happen such as the government being overthrown. According to Irina Ratina, who lives in Russia, leaders in Ukraine seem to be popping in and out because they are disliked. Ratina says that she has yet to meet a political leader that she respects.  Ratina says that the previous Prime Minister of Ukraine, Viktor Yuschenko, was not any better of a leader than Yanukovych. Vitaliy Shlyakov, who has lived in Ukraine for all his life, seems to think along the same lines by saying how Yanukovych was “the most corrupt president in the history of Ukraine.” Shlyakov says that Yanukovych focused mainly on himself and his family and took absolutely no interest or care in the citizens of Ukraine. Shlyakov says that it was a good idea for Yanukovych to run away and he deserves to be arrested and punished by law for what he has done in the past few years. Another issue is whether or not people living in Ukraine should be required to speak only the Ukrainian language. The reason this is such a hot button issue is because Russian was, and still is, a widely spoken language in Ukraine. Opinions on this vary among people living in Ukraine, Russia, and America. “It’s not going to feel good,” says Zayaruznaya, who speaks Russian. Shlyakov, who also speaks Russian, seems to think that people in Ukraine should be required to know Russian, but should have the right to speak the language that is the most comfortable for them to use. He says that the only exception for this should be people who have already reached retirement age because it’s difficult to learn a new language at an older age. “Things need to make sense, meaning that if Ukrainian is the national language, then everyone needs to study and know it,” says Ratina. “I believe that native language is important and you cannot just forbid it.” Though the law requiring every Ukrainian citizen to only speak the Ukrainian language was vetoed by former president, Oleksandr Turchynov, after being passed by Parliament, the possibility of such a law being passed again is still very much on people’s minds. In the end, what unites all these people with their different opinions is that they all want peace. This crisis will surely keep people talking for some time to come, but, as Vitalik Shlyakov says, “there’s hope for a brighter future.”