Dozens Gathering In Uptown Protesting The Russian Invasion Of Ukraine

CHARLOTTE, NC. — The sadness was palpable among the dozens of people who came to Romare Bearden Park Thursday, protesting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Olena Sambur moved to Charlotte six years ago from Ukraine.

“I want to be here to support my country because all of my family lives there. My parents come on my siblings, my cousins, everybody. And they’re very close all the terrible events,” Sambur says.

Steven Sabol is a history professor at UNC Charlotte. He says this crisis has been long in the making. He says Russian President Vladamir Putin’s motivation for the invasion may be due to the fact Putin doesn’t want Ukraine to join NATO and Russian interest in Ukraine territory.

“In terms of its natural resources and commodities, a very, very rich country. I would say that there is a buffer element to have Ukraine staying out of NATO,” says Sabol.

Sabol thinks President Biden’s latest sanctions won’t be enough to stop the Kremlin.

“You do have an unprovoked aggression against a sovereign state in Europe. It could be anywhere, but the fact that it’s in Europe really resonates with the United States because of our NATO alliance.”