BLITZ INTERVIEW: A Belarusian in the army of Ukraine - "Ukrainians still believe the world cares ... and I try to hope they are right."

Nia Gladenkaya left a comfortable life as a corporate lawyer to go defend freedom in Ukraine, as a soldier. "Unconditional victory. Anything less is not an option: not for Ukraine, not for Belarus"

Where are you from? And where are you now? Doing what?

I am from Belarus, but my heart has always belonged elsewhere: to freedom, to dignity, to the right to choose my own path. In 2015 I moved to Estonia to study, then spent some time in Norway, thinking my life would follow a conventional course. But history had other plans for me.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, I could not just do nothing. I came to Ukraine as a volunteer believing I could help in some small way. That “small way” became my entire life. I am now a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, defending not just this country, but the very idea of justice, of sovereignty, of the right to exist without fear.

I left behind comfort, stability, and personal ambitions, but in return, I found something greater. A Purpose.

What kind of studies and work did you do previously? Where?

I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in international law in Estonia, with a focus on financial law during my semester in Norway. I worked as a corporate lawyer and integration manager in ART clinics across Northern Europe and Ukraine, helping people create families, build futures.

Ironically, I used to study international treaties, conventions, used to navigate contracts, negotiations, and legal frameworks, believing those structures kept the world in order. But war showed me that laws, rights, and institutions mean nothing if they are not defended. I used to protect human rights and businesses; now I protect lives.

How has the war in Ukraine changed your life? You personally?

The war shattered my illusions, stripped away the trivial, and forced me to confront what truly matters.

I remember standing in a de-occupied village, talking to a woman waiting for humanitarian aid. She told me, “We were starving. I had money in my bank account, but I couldn’t buy a single piece of bread.” That moment rewired my entire perception of value. Money is an illusion; security is an illusion. The only real currency is time: fleeting, fragile, and irreplaceable.

I had a chance to turn back. In May 2022, I was on a train to Poland, planning to extend my residency in Estonia. But at the border, the guards warned me: “There’s a risk you won’t be allowed back into Ukraine.” That was the moment of truth. I stepped off the train. I stayed.

Not once have I regretted that decision. Because freedom is not granted: it is taken, fought for, and defended every day.

What has surprised you most about Ukrainians these past couple of years? Good or bad?

Their kindness, their honesty, their unbreakable spirit.

Ukrainians do not trust easily, but once you earn it, they make you family. They will share their last piece of bread with you, even when they have nothing. They will fight with you, for you, and never ask for anything in return.

I remember arriving in Ukraine on March 8, 2022, on a train from Poland. I was a stranger, yet people in my car started making calls, reaching out to their friends all over Ukraine, trying to help me find my sister: whom I had never met but always longed to. That was my first encounter with Ukraine. It wasn’t just kindness, but it was a bond, an unspoken promise that we do not leave our own behind.

And then, there is their fearlessness. I have seen old women herding goats under artillery fire, refusing to leave their homes because their animals depended on them. I have met men who lost everything and still chose to fight, not for revenge, but because surrender was never an option.

Ukraine is not just a country. It is a force of nature.

What are your future plans?

I will stay in Ukraine until it wins. Fully. Absolutely. There is no other outcome.

Beyond that, I have plans—exciting ones, ones that I cannot yet share. But they are not just my plans; they are for something greater. The war will not end when the last Russian soldier leaves Ukrainian land. There is more to fight for. And I will.

(Ksenia Feb 24, 2022 - “All these mishaps in Belarus and Ukraine due to one particularly aggressive regime” #StopPutinNOW)

How do you see the war ending and Ukraine returning to a ‘normal life’?

With Ukraine’s unconditional victory. Anything less is not an option: not for Ukraine, not for Belarus, not for Europe.

Russia is not just Ukraine’s problem. It is a threat to every democratic nation, to every person who values freedom. The world must understand this: Ukraine does not just need support - it deserves it. If the U.S. hesitates, then Europe, the Baltic states, and the Nordic countries must step forward.

(Ksenia with Andrei Sannikov and Garry Kasparov at the World Liberty Congress)

Ukraine needs weapons. It needs ammunition, drones, and manpower. The West fears World War III, but while they hesitate, Russia is inching closer to winning it. This is not just Ukraine’s war—it is a turning point in history.

As for “normal life”… I no longer believe in that phrase. This is my normal. Waking up with a purpose. Fighting for something real. Ukraine will win, and after that - Belarus must rise. I do not believe in borders defining a person, but I do believe in the choices we make. We did not choose where we were born, but we can choose the world we leave behind.

Now is the moment. And we must enter the history books.

Tell us one thing you don’t think people abroad know about Ukraine – but they really should.

Ukrainians still believe the world cares.

Despite the fatigue, despite the shifting headlines, they still believe help is coming. That those who stood with them in 2022 will not abandon them in 2025.

And I try to hope they are right. Because if the world lets Ukraine fall, it will not just be a betrayal: it will be a prelude to something far worse.

Ukraine still believes in you. The question is: do you still believe in Ukraine?