OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The situation at the Ukrainian-Russian border is making some here in the U.S. sympathize with those in the two countries.
University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh associate professor of anthropology Jordan Karsten says he’s constantly worried about his Ukrainian friends.
He says he’s staying in contact with them every day as the situation unfolds.
“Many of them are nervous because they don’t know what this means for their own safety and how they have to respond. But many of them are also preparing and joining groups that are preparing to defend Ukrainian territory,” said Karsten.
Karsten has frequently traveled to Ukraine during the past 10 years for research.
He says this definitely isn’t the first time there’s been tension between Ukraine and Russia.
“I was actually there in 2013 and early 2014 when the country had its revolution of dignity and overthrew Viktor Yanukovych who was the pro-Russian president and so it was not connected to my archeological research but I got to participate in those protests in Kiev and in Lviv,” said Karsten.
Karsten says people in Northeast Wisconsin should resonate with what’s going on overseas for one reason: he says Ukrainians are just like us.
“Share the same values as people in Northeast Wisconsin. They like to go out and go ice fishing, they like to have parties, they like to have fun like people here do.. They are democracy loving kind of people just like we are,” said Karsten.
Fox 11 reached out to Olga Halaburda, a Ukrainian-American who works in the Fox Valley. She still has family in Ukraine.
She said she’s not commenting on the situation right now.
Although, Halaburda said quote, “I’d like to see what happens. My family, friends and I are praying for peace.”
Karsten says peace is what his Ukrainian friends are wishing for too.
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