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‘From people to people, from heart to heart’: Ukraine lawmakers urge support of Santa Clara County residents in continued war against Russia

Four members of Ukraine’s governing body urged Santa Clara County residents to support their country in its continued war with Russia during a diplomatic visit Tuesday.

Serhii Soboliev, 63, a member of the opposition party in Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, said Americans may feel, “Oh, it’s not my war,” but it “really is your war.”

“Everybody must understand that we are struggling not only for our territory, not only for our democracy,” Soboliev said. “We are struggling as well for your democracy, if you do not want to send your brothers, your children, as it was during World War II.”

The visit was arranged through Open World, a program based in the U.S. Congressional Office of International Leadership that provides federal grants to counties to host international delegations. This marks Santa Clara County’s eighth delegation and second Ukrainian delegation, following a visit in 2023.

During their trip, the representatives visited Washington, D.C., and Santa Clara County, staying with host families and stopping at universities to speak with students, among other events. They were welcomed to the county with a Ukrainian flag-raising ceremony Tuesday morning hosted by Supervisor Otto Lee and the Santa Clara County Sister Commission at the Santa Clara County Building.

“It’s a very great symbolic event for us, and it really connects not only our countries as economic and political status but also from people to people, from heart to heart,” said Anna Purtova, 42, a member of Ukraine’s majority party. “We will never forget how America was with us this last three years.”

The aim of the visit was to not only strengthen relations on a federal and state level but also on the level of “regular Americans,” said Igor Marchuk, 55, a member of the majority party, through a translator. “You are the country who is the leader of the democratic world … and we are the country that values the lives of its citizens who stand for and who fight for the democratic values.”

“It’s very important for us to make sure that the American people as a society understands Ukrainian people as a society,” he said. “The mutual understanding and mutual recognition of our similarities as societies who have the same values cannot be underestimated.”

The delegation’s remarks came the same day that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed a special U.N. Security Council session, warning that Russia will only accept a peaceful end to the war if forced to do so.

The visiting Ukrainian representatives emphasized the similarities between the Ukrainian and American people, especially shared values of democracy and freedom.

“Ukrainians who are living by you are the same as you,” Soboliev added. “They have the same interests, the same families, the same churches as you.”

The representatives are part of a push by Ukraine to persuade the U.S. government to approve the use of long-range missiles on military installations in Russian territory to finish the war, which Purtova said is closer to a Ukrainian victory. Oleksii Ustenko, 30, a member of the majority party, also urged the continuation of sanctions so that Russia cannot use that money to fund the war.

Visiting Ukrainian parliament members Anna Purtova, Igor Marchuk and Serhii Soboliev, listen to speeches at a flag-raising ceremony Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at the Santa Clara County building in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) 

Ukraine needs the U.S. government to provide more F16 and F35 fighter jets, as well as the Patriot protection system, “to protect our cities, schools, hospitals,” Soboliev said. The U.S. government has sent more than $55.7 billion in military assistance to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, according to the U.S. Department of State.

“It’s better to protect world democracy by sending weapons to us, by sending hospitals to us, by helping our civilians,” Soboliev added.

The representatives also emphasized the importance of Ukraine’s being allowed to join NATO as a full member.

“Without this, the war will never be finished,” Soboliev said. “It will spread all over and all over, because all tyrants will understand that they can fight democracy.”

Anastasia Lukashenko sings the Ukrainian national anthem during a visit by members of the Ukraine parliament during a flag-raising ceremony, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at the Santa Clara County building in San Jose, Calif. Board of Supervisors Vice President Otto Lee stands at attention in the background. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) 

Santa Clara County is a “very internationally focused jurisdiction,” said Nancy Madison, chair of the County Sister Commission. “This helps to develop people-to-people diplomacy, the citizen diplomacy, rather than the official diplomacy at the elected official level.”

The delegates will stay in California until Thursday. They visited Santa Clara University on Monday and will visit Stanford University on Wednesday.

Ustenko said the delegation appreciated seeing Ukrainian flags flown in a show of support during their visit.

“We feel that the United States is with us,” he said. “The citizens of the United States, they’re with us and they support us. Please don’t stop. We need to win this war together.”

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They also discussed the importance of unity. Though they are members of different parties, since the outbreak of war, those parties have worked together toward one goal: the end of the war.

“On behalf of all our people that were killed during this war, on behalf of more than 20,000 children that were stolen from Ukraine by Russia, on behalf of those who lost their arms and legs, on behalf of those who are waiting for their beloved one to return from the battlefield and even on behalf of all of us who continue to live in Ukraine,” Purtova added, “we ask you to keep supporting Ukraine in our fight.”

Ukrainian flags are held by spectators during a visit by Ukraine parliament members sister city flag-raising ceremony, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, at the Santa Clara County building in San Jose, Calif. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group) 

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