The nonprofit Americans for Ukraine, which provides aid to Ukrainians who have been fleeing the country since the Russian invasion, hosted a Dec. 18 luncheon at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club.
“It is so nice to see the outpouring in the San Diego area for this and other projects we’ve been involved in,” said Richard Rovsek, chairman of the Rancho Santa Fe nonprofit Spirit of Liberty Foundation. “I think Ukraine has captured the hearts of Americans.”
It’s closing in on one year since Russia invaded Ukraine, which has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and a refugee crisis.
American concern about the invasion of Ukraine has waned over the course of the year, according to a September poll by the Pew Research Center, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Congress on Dec. 21 to ask for the continued support of “all those who value freedom and justice.”
(L-R) Krzysztof Szczesny, co-founder of Americans for Ukraine and executive director of the Modlinska Humanitarian Refugee Centre, and Richard Rovsek, chairman of Spirit of Liberty Foundation
(Copyright of Spirit of Liberty Foundation)
“We defeated Russia in the battle for minds of the world,” Zelensky said. “We have no fear, nor should anyone in the world.”
Krzysztof Szczesny, co-founder of Americans for Ukraine and executive director of the Modlinska Humanitarian Refugee Centre in Poland, attended the luncheon to discuss the humanitarian challenges. Szczesny helped put refugees in permanent homes all over the world, including the United States.
He said the refugees need the rest of the free world to continue the “humanitarian miracle” of finding housing and employment for the refugees.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, “The Kremlin has always been firmly convinced that Russia will never become a world leader without control over Ukraine, meanwhile a democratic and prosperous Ukraine is a threat to the current authoritarian rule in Russia.”
Aid to Ukraine was included in the $1.7 trillion bill recently approved by Congress.
“I think they’ve done an extraordinary job, when you think about it,” Rovsek said, “not only withholding, but pushing the Russians back.”
Rovsek also presented Americans for Ukraine with a reproduction of a painting of Zelensky titled “Defiant and Undefeated.”
“There’s something about it,” he added. “It’s a powerful statement, ‘Defiant and Undefeated.’”
Visit americans4ukraine.org for more information.