Fear and hope greet Trump's presidential victory among diaspora groups in Manitoba

As Kateryna Starikova watched Donald Trump become the next president of the United States, she felt a growing concern for Ukraine's independence and fear for the safety of her family still living there. 

"With Biden, we had weapons, we had support … America tried to help us, but now we're not sure," she told CBC News. 

Starikova, who immigrated to Canada from Ukraine two years ago, said she is worried about how the new Trump administration might try to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

Trump has frequently criticized the tens of billions of dollars in weaponry and financial aid that the U.S. has sent Ukraine, and he vowed as president to end the war, even promising to do it in as little as 24 hours, despite never specifying how he would accomplish that.

That's concerning for some Ukrainians, like Starikova, who fear a possible ultimatum from the U.S. or a freeze in funding unless Ukraine signs a peace deal, which might include giving up some of its territories to Russia.

"We [would] lose our country, unfortunately," she said. 

Ostap Skrypnyk, advisor with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba, said part of the challenge is how light Trump has been on details and specifics regarding his planned approach on the war. 

"There are so many unknowns … there's apprehension, a bit of anxiety and in some quarters there's active concern because at some point you have to take the man for what he says," Skrypnyk said.  

"It's always a wait and see."

In the meantime, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress will continue monitoring how the situation evolves, while in Manitoba, the council is looking at the trickling effects of a potential change in the U.S. internal immigration policy. 

Skrypnyk said a "significant number" of Ukrainians who once lived in Manitoba left for the U.S., but if their status changes due to internal immigration policy changes brought in by Trump's ne administration, some could find themselves moving back to Canada.

"Planning for it at this stage today is too strong forward, but we are aware that these things might happen," he said. "If people start returning, what kind of services are we going to have to provide for them?"

Diwa Marcelino, an organizer of Migrante Manitoba, said the last time Trump was elected president, some asylum seekers in the U.S. contacted the group, which advocates for migrant workers in the province, for assistance and advice.

He said the president-elect has committed to bringing in "so-called tougher immigration policies"  that he said contravene the United Nations declarations of the rights of migrant workers and are going to be "very damaging for the U.S."