ASHWAUBENON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A crowd gathers in Ashwaubenon hoping for peace, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continues to unfold.
With American and Ukrainian flags waving in the wind.
Valentyn Tereshchenko still has family in Ukraine.
His parents are surrounded by Russian troops, telling him they hear the constant shelling just 20 to 30 miles away.
Other relatives are in Kyiv, the nations capital.
“They spent the three last nights in a bomb shelter, ” said Tereshchenko. “There’s little kids as well as my sister, she’s fleeing to the west trying to get to Poland right now.”
Even young children hold signs asking for love over war, as others tell Vladimir Putin to stop bombing their families.
“I’m very proud of the people of Ukraine. Brave sons and daughters of Ukraine, standing up to Putin and Russia,” said Tereshchenko. “They’re in the front lines trying to stop this aggression, stop this war.”
Ukrainians have received tremendous support world wide and that includes some at the rally here on Sunday with Russian ties.
Vlada Klymenko is Ukrainian and Milana Volkova is Russian.
Both tell FOX 11 they want Russia’s invasion to end.
Volkova adding the invasion isn’t something Russian people are asking for.
“Politics and people there are not the same. Nobody listens to people, what they want right now. It just a game of politics.”
Klymenko is from Kyiv, and while her family is safe and has fled the capitol, like many they can still hear shooting too.
Still, she says she leans not just on the support of her friends, but rallies like this one happening across the country.
All still hoping for a peaceful resolve.
“Some people say you can’t be friends because she’s from Russia and she’s from Ukraine, but it is literally political and is trying to make everything worse,” said Klymenko. “But we’re friends and it doesn’t really matter what nationality we are.”
The city of Green Bay is lighting the Main and Walnut Street bridges in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine’s flag, through March 1st.
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