- Slug: Arizona’s Ukrainian Community
- Runtime: 3:18
- Downloadable audio here. (Note: Some web browsers may not support media download
BYLINE: Alexandra Mora Medina /Cronkite News
ARIZONA’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AND MEMBERS OF THE UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY IN THE VALLEY WERE SWIFT TO REACT TO THE NEWS OF RUSSIA INVADING UKRAINE. CRONKITE NEWS’S ALEXANDRA MORA MEDINA REPORTS A SMALL GROUP GATHERED THURSDAY IN TEMPE TO PROTEST RUSSIA’S ACTIONS AND TO SHOW SOLIDARITY.
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( MUSIC )
MEMBERS OF THE UKRAINIAN COMMUNITY STOOD ON A STREET CORNER IN TEMPE WAVING THE BLUE AND YELLOW FLAGS OF THEIR HOME COUNTRY. THEY CARRIED SIGNS. SOME READ “STOP THE WAR” AND “UKRAINE MATTERS.” ONE WOMAN HELD A SIGN THAT SAID “PLEASE DON’T KILL MY FAMILY.” OLENA (AH-LANN-AH MEL-NICK) MELNYK WAS AMONG THEM. SHE SAYS HER FAMILY WAS SLEEPING WHEN THE FIRST STRIKES HAPPENED IN THE COUNTRY.
“It was me monitoring news all the time. While my relatives my sister was and my parents my mother in law was sleeping. We already received a nonce. I already read on the news about putting invasion. Announced invasion to Ukraine. They were sleeping they woke up with the sounds of rocket bomb being explosions.”
HER FAMILY MEMBERS ARE SCATTERED AROUND UKRAINE. SHE SAYS THEY’VE PACKED THEIR BAGS AND ARE TRYING TO LEAVE. IN KEIV (KEEVE), THE CAPITOL CITY OF UKRAINE, FREEWAYS WERE JAMMED WITH THOUSANDS OF CARS AS PEOPLE TRIED TO LEAVE.
And this morning, my first message I saw was that my godson, and his father got enlisted in the army and he was a baby, I hold him. And he was now 24. He is proud Ukrainian and he is going to risk his life and I’m praying that he’ll come back alive.
UKRAINE DECLARED ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM RUSSIA IN 1991. THAT’S AFTER THE FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION. SINCE THEN RUSSIA HAS CONTINUED TO INTERFERE IN UKRAINIAN AFFAIRS.
“it’s just the beginning of their fight for independence after 30 years of independent country we have now to fight back again.
<sot Rep. Greg Stanton (D)/runs :00 hits xx-xx >
“I stand with the Ukrainian people, and the Ukrainian community here in Arizona”
THAT’S ARIZONA CONGRESSMAN GREG STANTON AT AN EVENT ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE. HE TOOK A MOMENT TO SAY THE U-S WILL LEAD THE WORLD IN TAKING ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA.
<sot Rep. Greg Stanton (D)/runs :00 hits xx-xx >
“You don’t invade another sovereign nation. We will stand strong and we are going to make sure that Vladimir Putin knows that the world is against what he has done.”
OTHER MEMBERS OF ARIZONA’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION AGREE… DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSMAN TOM O’HALLERAN RELEASED A STATEMENT THAT SAYS IN PART “CONGRESS MUST CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE AND OUR NATO ALLIES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO BORDER RUSSIA, THROUGH INCREASED MILITARY AID.”
AND REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN DEBBIE LESKO TWEETED, “PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYING FOR THE PEOPLE OF UKRAINE AS THEY ENDURE A SENSELESS AND UNPROVOKED ATTACK AT THE HANDS OF VLADIMIR PUTIN.” SHE URGED THE US TO PUSH FOR THE HIGHEST SANCTIONS AGAINST RUSSIA.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ON THURSDAY ISSUED NEW SANCTIONS TO LIMIT WHAT CAN BE EXPORTED TO RUSSIA.
BIDEN HAS SAID THE U-S WILL NOT ENGAGE IN DIRECT CONFLICT IN UKRAINE.
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FOR OLENE MELNYK , SHE SAYS IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN SANCTIONS TO PROTECT AND STAND FOR THE UKRAINIAN PEOPLE.
“TBD”
<sot Olena Melnyk/Arizonan? Ukrainian National Women’s League of America member?? Family in Ukraine? runs :00 hits xx-xx >
“We want to ask all democrats and republicans to stand together in this resistance against russian aggression in all possible ways, political, diplomatical, financial, humanitarian aid.”
(MUSIC OUT )
ALEXANDRA MORA MEDINA, CRONKITE NEWS.
HOST OUTRO:
THE UKRAINIAN CULTURAL CENTER IN PHOENIX WILL HOLD A DEMONSTRATION TO SHOW SOLIDARITY WITH UKRAINE THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO ATTEND THE PEACEFUL MARCH