ROANOKE, Va. – A group of women from the Roanoke Valley spent time on Capitol Hill last week advocating for their home country at the Ukraine Action Summit.
“We went to see our congressmen, congresswomen, and senators and told them the importance for us to help Ukraine win this terrifying war,” said Inna Payne.
Payne, along with Olena Kuhfahl, Krystyn Goat, and others were representing the group, Ukrainians of Roanoke Valley and Surrounding Areas.
The group has been behind rallies and other events in the Star City.
“We continue to ask all Americans to support us and support Ukraine because this is not just Europe or Ukrainian war,” said Kuhfahl.
Now, the group has taken their feelings and skills to Congress.
“Our main reason for going to D.C. was to mainly remind people you have to help Ukraine. Ukraine is like the heart of Europe. I’m afraid if we don’t help them, I don’t even want to say that,” said Goat.
Some of the legislation they’re fighting for includes supplemental funding, providing long-range weapons, and a resolution to recognize the war as a genocide.
“Ukrainians are being killed for just being Ukrainian,” said Goat.
While other conflicts continue to unfold in the Middle East, Payne does not want people to forget about the war raging on in Ukraine.
“Everybody just stopped talking about it,” she said. “It is still war in Ukraine. It never stopped.”