Welch: Allies standing strong for Ukraine; aid continues to be crucial

(Gareth Henderson File Photo)

Even amid the most treacherous and dangerous situations, acts of kindness and compassion shine through. 

A great many people have stepped in to help those fleeing the war in Ukraine. Neighboring Poland has given refuge to nearly 3 million Ukrainian refugees as of Wednesday, according to data from the United Nations. 

U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., saw this in action when he recently went to Eastern Europe, visiting Latvia, Poland and Slovakia. He traveled with U.S. Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney, D-N.Y., Mike Quigley, D-Ill, and Jason Crow, D-Colo., with whom he serves on the House Intelligence Committee. Welch said the trip was meant to inspect how the U.S. policy of arming the Ukrainians and the coordination with humanitarian aid, is proceeding.

In a Tuesday interview, Welch reported that the coordination between European allies — both NATO, and non-NATO — is impressive.

For the Ukrainians who have fled their war-torn country, their neighbors in Poland have been answering the call to help from the beginning. 

“There are no camps. They're all sheltering in the homes of Polish families who have welcomed them and are willing to house them for as long as it takes,” Welch said.  

Working in partnership with U.S. aid efforts, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia have played important roles in bolstering Ukraine’s strong military operations against Russia, Welch noted.

“Even though they’re small countries, they've been sending an immense amount of military aid,” he said. “They're enormously grateful the U.S. is all in. They feel the U.S. is a full partner with them in their efforts to resist Russian aggression.”

These allies are spurred on in large part by their memories of World War II, and wanting to help their neighbors and prevent the tragedies of war from spreading.

“It’s like it was yesterday,” Welch said, of how they remember WWII. “It's just embedded in their psyche.”

Looking toward the long-term, Welch said there will be a vast amount of work for years to come, to rebuild the damage Russia has inflicted on Ukraine, with cities like Mariupol reduced to rubble. 

There will be a need for aid on many fronts, and Welch said there are ways Vermonters can play a role. 

“Governor (Phil) Scott has expressed an openness to accepting Ukrainian refugees in Vermont,” Welch said. He added that the Biden administration is facilitating those opportunities for Ukrainians to relocate to the U.S.

Also, Vermonters and many Americans have contributed to the humanitarian relief effort by donating to organizations involved, and Welch encouraged that generosity to continue. Vermont recently approved a legislative bill to send more than $640,000 in humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

In a recent statement, Scott spoke of those displaced by the war and Vermont’s “moral obligation” to help.

“We are ready, willing and able to accept refugees from Ukraine if need be,” the governor said.

— Gareth Henderson