PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – As tensions in Ukraine ramp up, the local Ukrainian community is very concerned that there will be an invasion soon. Senator Ron Wyden also spoke out Saturday on the potential for invasion.
The local community says there is tremendous fear and they are concerned that recent escalations there are paving the way to an invasion by Russia.
Senator Wyden said as the days go by, the threats appear to be increasing.
KOIN 6 also spoke with Ukrainian-American Cultural Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington board member Tatiana Terdal.
Terdal said people are worried and are very scared, especially for their relatives and friends overseas.
She talked about a kindergarten that was shelled a few days ago. Although none of them were hurt physically, psychologically it is damaging. She said they are already seeing the impact of tensions there, which is hard to hear.
Senator Wyden explained “well first of all, for Oregonians, the reason it’s so important that we contain the Russians and that we contain them now as they every day appear to be threatening Ukraine. We are not committing our troops to Ukraine. We have got to stop them there.”
Terdal explained “people are worried, very scared for their relatives. They have already been an interruption of mobile service. People are wondering ‘how will we communicate?’”
Terdal says one of the frustrations that the local Ukrainian community is about the terminology being used to describe the situation there. When they hear the term ‘crisis in Ukraine’ they feel it’s putting the blame on the Ukrainians. She said the community feels that the emphasis should be on the aggressor which is Russia.
Ukrainian-American Cultural Association of OR & SW WA shipping fundraiser for hospital supplies
She also said there has been an effort to collect medical supplies for people in Ukraine, but they are still trying to figure out the best way to ship them because logistics are tricky right now.