RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Members of the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina are standing in solidarity with Ukraine as tensions with Russia mount.
Holding signs, and blue and yellow flags, dozens of people stood outside the North Carolina State Capitol in Raleigh Saturday to send a message to Russia and the world.
“I basically came out here to support Ukraine, the Ukrainian people,” said Oleksiy Fitel who came to the rally with his family.
The first of 2,000 U.S. troops from Fort Bragg have arrived in Europe amid fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Natalya Read doesn’t want that to happen.
She lives in Raleigh. Her family immigrated to the United States from Ukraine in the 1960s.
She told CBS 17 what’s happening overseas hits home for her.
“It actually makes me sick to my stomach,” said Read.
It also hits home for the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina Vice President Oleh Wolowyna.
“I was born in Ukraine. I have family and many friends and I also met quite a few soldiers that are fighting in the eastern (areas),” said Wolowyna.
That’s why he and others with the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina are standing together.
Donna Goldstein is the president of the association. She says she worries about her family in Ukraine every day.
“They’re nervous. They live in the western part of Ukraine so they’re fairly far from the Eastern front but it’s scary, it’s scary for them,” said Goldstein.
Members of the Ukrainian Association of North Carolina told CBS 17 they are hanging onto hope that tensions will calm.
