Ukraine

With the death of Mr. Lindsey, who urged Mr. Trump to support Ukraine and be tougher on Russia, I hope Mr. Trump honors that legacy…Coincidentally, there was a meeting in Warren last night with a visit by Olga Piasecka-Niec`, who manages the Tkanka community center in Krakow, Poland for refugees from Ukraine. The center was among the first to be established in 2022 and has continued to expand its mission as the war drags on. The center helps mostly women and children heal from the trauma of the war by providing a safe place to learn new skills and figure out what to do. Men between the ages of 18-65 are prohibited from leaving Ukraine, so the separation of over 4 years in some cases has caused deep changes in the husbands, boyfriends and relatives who are still alive and the wives, girlfriends and children living in Poland-or other refugee countries; War is a terrible thing with long lasting repercussions that affect generations…The Ukraine military reports that 1,420,690 Russians have been killed or wounded since the war began, including over 1,500 the past day. Ukrainian losses are less but still decimating the smaller country. This carnage was instigated by a man who hides behind bodyguards and platitudes of empire building and cares nothing about the human beings at his disposal. It is sobering to contemplate the misery that people using nationalism, religion or bigotry as excuses have caused throughout human history… So Olga continues to do what she can to spread the better angels of human nature, but says that many of the original shelters have closed due to lack of support and funding. Here in Warren the Sokolski Family Foundation, established by Andrew Sokolski, a philanthropist associated with a local manufacturer named WhirleyDrinkWorks, is the primary supporter of Tkanka. In addition, informational fund raising visits by Olga and others help the mission survive and expand…Meanwhile, the family we are sponsoring in Ukraine have obtained paperwork to seek refuge-hopefully in Denmark. The four years of war with recent nearby missile explosions and casualties have exhausted them. We continue to support their efforts with money and moral encouragement, but it seems petty and powerless within the larger political quagmire.