‘My Heart Bleeds’: SWFL Ukrainians mark 4 years of war

NORTH PORT, Fla. — Bright blue and yellow Ukrainian flags fluttered in the afternoon breeze as car horn beeps energized the large crowd lined up on the sidewalk of U.S. 41 in North Port on Tuesday. It was part of gatherings across the world to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The United Nations said the conflict has produced almost 6 million Ukrainian refugees across the world. That includes Raisa Korytska and her four young children, who joined the rally at U.S. 41 and South Biscayne Drive on Tuesday.

"We pray every day about the ending of this war," Korytska said.

Korytska and her husband lived in the Rivne region of Ukraine before Russian bombing forced her to flee in August of 2022. Korytska said friends helped the family relocate to North Port, which is home to a large Ukrainian and Russian population.

Raisa Korytska

President Donald Trump said he would end the war on his first day in office. A solution has proved more difficult to find. Brian Taylor is the director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs at Syracuse University. Taylor said the war likely won't end anytime soon.

"The simple reason is [Russian President] Vladimir Putin is not interested in a deal, he wants to control Ukraine and Ukraine wants to remain free and independent and sovereign," Taylor said. "And there's no real overlap between those two positions at this point."

U.S. support for Ukraine has dramatically changed since the start of the war, Taylor said. Former President Joe Biden's administration pledged hundreds of billions of dollars in economic and military aid to Ukraine.

Trump cut off direct aid for Ukraine, Taylor said, instead selling military equipment through European allies. U.S. support for Ukraine has dried up in other ways.

On Tuesday, the United States abstained from a United Nations General Assembly vote on a resolution that reaffirmed Ukraine's sovereignty. Russian state media organization TASS applauded the move.

"I'm an American and my heart bleeds for Ukraine and for America," said Daria Tomashosky, president of the Ukrainian Club of Southwest Florida. "Very sad."

WFTX

Tomashosky was born in Austria following World War II. Her father was a Ukrainian imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps during the war. She moved to the United States at three-years-old and has lived in North Port for the last 32 years.

Tomashosky said she wanted to show her support for Ukraine and mourn those killed in the war.

Korytska said she is very grateful to the United States for welcoming her family into the country. But she hopes to eventually return home and see the many relatives left behind.

"We want this war ended and we want to see our families," Korytska said.