AUSTIN, Texas — The Biden administration says Russia is preparing for an invasion of Ukraine in the coming hours or days.
Late Monday night, the United Nations Security Council met, and world leaders condemned what they called acts of aggression from Russia.
On Monday, President Joe Biden placed new sanctions on Russia and plans to announce more on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of eastern separatist regions in Ukraine and said Russian troops would move into those regions.
Texans with connections to Ukraine tell us they're concerned about what Putin will do next.
"For Ukrainians who live there, this means invasion,” said Mariana Kotenko, an Austinite with family in Ukraine. “So we know that Putin's not going to stop just occupying these two territories; he's going to keep moving."
Chrystya Geremesz, the founding member of the Ukrainian American Society of Texas, said “this is not just about Russia and Ukraine.”
“This is about democracy and dictatorships around the world and challenging the United States, because I think Putin clearly believes that the United States has been weakened and that we are not as strong as we used to be, and this is his chance,” she said.
Geremesz said she would like to see the Texas state leadership join with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress and the White House to support sanctions against Russia on behalf of Ukraine.
“We just need everybody on board to understand what's at risk here,” she said. “Ukraine may be the only visual part that everybody's looking at, but it's beyond that. We need to be aware of what the implications are.”
Kotenko also asked for support from the Central Texas community.
“This is true war,” she said. “It's not separatists trying to gain sovereignty. It's Ukrainians fighting for their life, for their country. The biggest thing I want to ask for all Americans and our senators and representatives is to support the strong sanctions and support military aid to Ukraine.”
There's an estimated 190,000 Russian troops and separatist forces near Ukraine's border. Russian officials are still denying any plans to invade.
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