BALTIMORE — With the conflict continuing in Gaza, Karina Mandell says it's easy for some people to forget about the continued suffering of millions as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Mandell says the people of Ukraine need continued support.
“Supporting people who are going through impossibly difficult situations, and those are cities much like Baltimore where people work and ate and loved and played and had plans of their children graduating with their next-door neighbors," says Mandell.
Last Tuesday, Republican Senator Ron Johnson stood on the Senate floor and explained why he is against sending more aid to help Ukraine fend off the invasion.
His argument: The Russian president cannot be stopped, so there is no point in using American taxpayer dollars against him.
The GOP has stalled U.S. aid for Ukraine.
Mandell worries if Ukraine doesn’t get additional aid, the U.S. will end up sending American troops instead.
“It's more than ever important at the federal level to support our allies because it's the difference between us sending military and financial support over there and our own troops and our own family members going over there. That to me is at stake here because I have family in Ukraine, and they are being commissioned to not only volunteer but are being conscripted to war," she says.
She says she hopes people will realize what millions of Ukrainians have lost over the last two years, things which cannot be replaced in any way.
“The grief of those future dreams that will never be realized, that will be completely reshaped. Maybe you had a dream of your child going to your alma mater, university or a following in your family business. Everything has had to be completely reshaped, and many people have redefined what home means," says Mandell.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, roughly 14 million people need humanitarian assistance this year.
The war has driven more than 3.7 million people in Ukraine from their homes.
Another 6.3 million Ukrainians are now forced to live in neighboring countries.
Thursday, MICA is partnering with the Baltimore-Odesa Sister City Committee to mark the anniversary of the state of the war and make sure people are aware of what is happening in that country.
