it is impossible to stop thinking about the war in ukraine. as i watch the wanton destruction of this country, individual ukrainians stand out in my mind. their bravery in the face of the russian onslaught is inspiring. in this post i want to write about a few who fill me with admiration.
the most obvious hero of the war is president zelensky. we saw his unwillingness to bow to pressure when our former president tried to intimidate him into being a partner in a failed attempt to investigate president biden's son, hunter, for his involvement in ukrainian business. just as he refused to bow to pressure then, he has not given in to the russian tyrant and the russian armed forces. he has rallied his people by standing firm in kyiv when he and his family could have been evacuated to safety. as russian forces appear to be preparing for the battle for control of the ukrainian capital, he remains there, ready to fight alongside other brave ukrainians. he exemplifies leadership at its best, as he suffers along with the people of his country in defiance of overwhelming russian military might.
i saw the video of armed men carrying the mayor of melitopol away. we are told that the mayor, ivan fedorov, was working at his desk adorned with the ukrainian flag when his office was invaded, and he was forced to leave. his whereabouts are unknown, and president zelenksy has called for his release by his kidnappers. apparently, mr. fedorov refused to cooperate with occupying russian forces and was forcibly removed from office. several thousand citizens of his city rallied in his support in the town square. this brave young man exemplifies the unwillingness of ukrainans to bow to putin's demands and surrender their country to his control.
there was a news interview of a ukrainian-american who had returned to his birthplace to fight the russians. he was an american citizen who had served in afghanistan in the armed forces of this country. when he saw the desperate plight of the people of ukraine, he left the safety of the usa and went to help in their struggle. now he is putting himself in harm's way to defend the independence of the people with whom he shares a heritage.
another news story told of several ukrainian ballet dancers, both male and female, who returned to their homeland to aid in its defense. they could have continued their careers in western europe, but they chose to abandon them because of their love for their country.
a young man who spoke fluent english told of his efforts to communicate with the world outside ukraine, relaying information through social media about conditions inside his country. he told the interviewer with whom he spoke that he was not trained to fight, but he believed he could best defend his country by using his skills to tell the world of his people's struggle.
there are many other stories of brave ukrainian patriots. in all of them, we see deep love for country, determination to prevent its takeover by putin's armed forces, and compassion for others, even for the enemy. we are learning much about a country that many of us would have had difficulty finding on a map before this war began. our hearts are filled with admiration for them as they fight this battle.
may we learn from the example of the ukrainian people who refuse to surrender their independence. may we do whatever we can to assist them, even though that may mean paying a few dollars more for each tank of gas. may we be united in our support of their efforts to repel the invaders. may their struggle be our struggle. shalom.
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