# Ukrainian refugees hope for peace, but more expected to flee Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-03-17 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Thousands of refugees flee to Eastern Europe amid ongoing Meta Description: Find out why thousands of refugees are crossing into Eastern Europe, fleeing the war in Ukraine and hoping for peace talks to end the conflict soon. URL: https://financedigest.com/ukrainian-refugees-hope-for-peace-but-more-expected-to-fleehtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-03-17t130943z1lynxnpei2g0q6rtroptp4ukraine-crisis-poland-1736815956423-compressed.jpg) By Anna Koper and Krisztina Than PRZEMYSL, Poland/BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Thousands more [refugees](https://www.financedigest.com/british-home-secretary-calls-on-other-nations-to-help-take-in-afghan-refugees.html) crossed into Eastern Europe on Thursday, many hoping that ongoing peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv may end the war soon, though more people were expected to flee in the days ahead. As the war in Ukraine entered its fourth week, about 3.2 million have fled abroad, United Nations data showed on Thursday in what has become Europe’s fastest growing refugee crisis since World War Two. While the numbers arriving in the frontline states – Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Moldova – have slowed in recent days, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he expected a “bigger [wave” next](https://www.financedigest.com/the-next-wave-of-fintech-is-here.html "The Next Wave of Fintech is here") week. The war is not subsiding, but spreading; and as it spreads, there is the risk that next week will see the arrival of more people in Hungary, presenting us with a huge [challenge,” he said in a video posted](https://www.financedigest.com/deutsche-post-raises-annual-dividend-warns-of-challenging-2023.html "Deutsche Post raises annual dividend; warns of challenging 2023") on his Facebook page late on Wednesday. They are not only [fleeing from areas threatened by war](https://www.financedigest.com/after-fleeing-war-ukrainians-struggle-to-settle-around-europe.html "After fleeing war, Ukrainians struggle to settle around Europe"), but also from war zones themselves. One of them was Alla Klochko from Mirnohrod in Donetsk, the region in eastern Ukraine that separatists have declared an independent republic but is contested by Kyiv and is at the [centre](https://www.financedigest.com/ukraine-grain-export-coordination-centre-opens-in-istanbul.html "Ukraine grain export coordination centre opens in Istanbul") of fierce fighting between Ukraine and Russia. The 31-year-old was hoping she could stay near Warsaw, find work and enrol her eight-year-old daughter Alisa, who loves playing the piano, in a Polish school. I [hope that, if our delegation reaches an agreement and at the end there will be peace, I hope that Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/gazprom-gas-cut-tempers-economic-hopes-after-ukraine-grain-deal.html "Gazprom gas cut tempers economic hopes after Ukraine grain deal") will not lose our part of the territory, our Donetsk, because Donetsk region is Ukrainian,” she said. We are a [part of Ukraine](https://www.financedigest.com/nato-rejects-ukraine-no-fly-zone-says-not-part-of-this-war.html "NATO rejects Ukraine no-fly zone, says ‘not part of this’ war"), have always been and hope that this will stay like that,” she said from Przemysl train station, a transit hub near the Ukrainian border. “We speak Russian, but we are Ukrainians.” MOVING WEST The majority of European countries have [offered to take in refugees in the past few weeks to alleviate the pressure on Ukraine’s](https://www.financedigest.com/g7-offers-9-5-billion-new-aid-for-ukraine-ready-with-more.html "G7 offers .5 billion new aid for Ukraine, ready with more") neighbours. [German police have recorded](https://www.financedigest.com/record-jump-in-german-producer-prices-adds-to-gloomy-outlook.html "Record jump in German producer prices adds to gloomy outlook") 187,428 refugees – mostly women and children – as of Thursday, the interior ministry said while Spain has registered about 4,500 so far. Amid the unrelenting fighting, both [Ukraine and Russia have spoken of progress in their bilateral talks](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-ukraine-agree-to-launch-talks-to-upgrade-2008-trade-accord.html "U.S., Ukraine agree to launch talks to upgrade 2008 trade accord"). Ukrainian officials have said they [think Russia is running out of troops to keep](https://www.financedigest.com/the-pull-of-the-past-1-in-5-keep-items-they-think-will-be-valuable-in-the-future.html "The pull of the past! 1 in 5 keep items they think will be valuable in the future") fighting and could soon come to terms with its failure to topple the Ukrainian government. Moscow has said it is close to agreeing a formula that would keep Ukraine neutral, long one of its demands. “I hope that this will end soon. Everybody says that it has to … I don’t know,” said Ekaterina Herman, 27, who arrived in Poland late on Wednesday with her two-year-old. I am [planning to come back](https://www.financedigest.com/euro-slips-back-below-parity-norwegian-krone-falls-on-planned-cbank-fx-purchases.html "Euro slips back below parity, Norwegian krone falls on planned cbank FX purchases") to Ukraine. Meanwhile, refugees across the region were trying to establish some kind of normalcy. At a supermarket-turned-shelter in Rzeszow, south-eastern [Poland,](https://www.financedigest.com/intel-facility-is-largest-greenfield-investment-in-poland-pm-says.html) volunteers and children played tug-of-war, drew tattoos and made drawings, with the Beverly Hills Cop movie soundtrack blasting on the speakers. In Romania, at the Siret border crossing with Ukraine, women with babies, toddlers and older children continued to arrive, while Romanian firefighters and volunteers welcomed them and carried their luggage to buses transporting them onwards. The UN is basing its relief [plans on four million refugees but has said the figure would likely rise](https://www.financedigest.com/uniper-rescue-plan-takes-shape-with-price-rises-possible.html "Uniper rescue plan takes shape, with price rises possible"). The European Union is expecting five [million to arrive](https://www.financedigest.com/british-ev-startup-arrival-gets-300-million-funding-aims-to-slow-cash-burn.html "British EV startup Arrival gets 0 million funding, aims to slow cash-burn"). Since the start of the invasion on Feb. 24, more than 270,000 people have fled to Hungary, 220,000 to Slovakia and 467,000 to Romania, with most refugees, or 1.85 million, in Poland, [according to government and UN data](https://www.financedigest.com/most-sales-and-marketing-teams-struggle-to-activate-data-in-their-organisation-according-to-new-international-study.html "Most Sales and Marketing teams struggle to activate data in their organisation, according to new international study"). (Reporting by Anna Koper in Przemysl, Krisztina Than in Budapest, Fabrizio Bensch and Natasa Bansagi in Rzeszow, Alan Charlish in Warsaw, Robert Muller in Prague; Writing by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---