Ukrainian Americans Rally in Sacramento as Russia Invades Homeland

Suzanne Potter | California News Service
Los Angeles and Sacramento are home to sizable Ukrainian-American communities. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Ukrainian American community rallied on the state Capitol steps last Thursday, expressing outrage over Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Sacramento is home to about 100,000 Ukrainian Americans, who are watching events unfold in horror.

Vladimir Skots, chairman of Ukrainian American House, a group based in Sacramento which brings the Ukrainian diaspora together, said he supports the strong financial sanctions imposed by President Joe Biden.

“We are calling for the whole world, for NATO, to unite and protect Ukraine,” Skots stated. “Because we have to stop this evil over there in Ukraine. Because if Putin won’t be stopped in Ukraine, he might go farther and bring other damages to the world.”

Ukrainian American House is planning a prayer breakfast at a Ukrainian church in the Sacramento region Saturday. Advocates hope to raise awareness here in the U.S. about the fight to preserve democracy and independence in Ukraine.

Skots argued Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to go to war is a threat to peace and stability around the world.

“One leader lost his mind and attacked another country,” Skots asserted. “Just because Ukraine wants to be free. Because Ukraine wants to go from propaganda toward education, toward NATO.”

Skots noted in 1994, Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a promise from Russia and the United States to protect its territorial integrity. During the so-called Orange Revolution of 2004-2005, Russia was accused of trying to rig the election and of poisoning the opposition candidate, who went on to win in a revote ordered by the Ukrainian Supreme Court.

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