Americans are reacting with empathy, frustration and hope to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s impassioned speech to Congress pleading for more aid for his war-torn nation
Jim Fouts, the mayor of Warren, Mich., addresses dozens of Ukrainian Americans at City Hall Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Warren, Mich. Fouts said"we can never overlook the dangers posed by ignoring what is going on in Ukraine." NEW YORK — — Americans reacted with empathy, pain, frustration and in some cases anger Wednesday to
“It’s morally the right thing to do,” Bottoms said, comparing relative inaction to failing to stop Nazi Germany’s early aggressions in the last century. “If we’d done something earlier, how many more lives could have been saved?” “United States proved to be our friends and allies supporting us,” Kovalenko said. “Maybe they can do more. We will expect from them to do more. But at least you already proved you are our friends.”
In the Detroit suburb of Warren, Michigan, dozens of Ukrainian Americans watched as the flag of their homeland was raised in front of City Hall. Among them was Luba Kytasta, who described her initial reaction to Zelenskyy's speech as: “Heartbreak, rage, outrage and hope.” The ever-lingering question of What to Do dominated social media posts reacting to Zelenskyy’s speech. A sense of anger — and helplessness — was paramount. Many said they could not sit back and let the carnage continue. Others warned that acceding to Zelenskyy’s requests for air power or anti-aircraft missiles could lead to World War III.