"I live in Canada, so for me, all people are all people, we're all human beings, I don't understand Putin, I don't understand people that actually fight with my brothers and my neighbours, but I don't judge people that picked their future in Canada. They are not aggressive, so they did nothing to me, so they're my neighbors, so I respect everyone."

That statement from Yevgeniya Tatarenko, the Leader of Morden's Borsch Ukrainian Culture Club, and a member of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress Manitoba, talking about the relationship with her Russian neighbours here in Morden amid the unrest between the two countries overseas.

A "Stand With Ukraine" rally took place on Sunday afternoon outside the Morden Civic Centre, as tensions continue over a Russian troop build-up near the Ukrainian border. The Canadian and Ukrainian National Anthems were played, and prayers were said in both Ukrianian and English for peace and safety. According to organizers, rallies took place in ten provinces across Canada on Sunday in twenty-nine different communities.

Tatarenko shared the reason for the rally, and what was happening all over Canada to show the same support for the people in her home country of Ukraine.

"We have this rally through Canada, twenty-nine different Ukrainian communities in Canada, so they came together, and they were standing with Ukraine, with the purpose to remind Canada, so that Ukrainians get help today. Canada helped Ukraine a lot already, and is helping, but Ukraine needs the defensive weapons today. We really want to stop and to give chances to Ukraine and all of our families and friends to stay strong, and to be able actually to defend themselves."

Tatarenko estimated there are about 100 Ukrainian families living in Morden that have come to Canada in the last number of years.

Hanna Okopna, and her husband and children, have only been living in Morden for two months. She recalled the unrest in Ukraine in 2016 that forced them to move from one community in Ukraine to another safer region, but they still didn't feel safe, so they decided to immigrate to Canada.

"When we learned that something was going on in Ukraine, and there is maybe another part of war, I told my husband that, 'Thank God we're here, we're safe, we did it.' We really appreciate Canada to have us here, for these opportunities to be safe, and our children will grow up in a safe place and in peace."

Tatarenko added she has heard a lot of concern and fear from the local Ukrainian community, for family and neighbours still living in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, on Monday, The Canadian Press is reporting French President Emmanuel Macron is set to hold talks in Moscow in a bid to to help de-escalate tensions over Ukraine. The concentration of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine has fueled Western worries it heralds a possible offensive. Russia has denied any plans of attacking its neighbor, but urged the U.S., and its allies, not to accept Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations into NATO, halt weapons deployments there and roll back NATO forces from Eastern Europe. Washington and NATO have rejected the demands. Macron, who is set to meet in the Kremlin with Russian President Vladimir Putin today before visiting Ukraine the following day, said last week that his priority is 'dialogue with Russia and de-escalation.'