DENVER — A rally is being held outside the Colorado State Capitol on Saturday marking two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"The Denver rally is part of an international effort intended to call attention to Ukraine’s need for military, humanitarian and political aid in the largest land war in Europe since World War II," organizers said.
Ukrainians of Colorado said the rally is part of a larger "Believe in Ukraine" campaign that took place in more than 100 cities on Saturday.
Some of the other speakers included Ukrainians who fled their home country for Colorado.
“Two years ago my family and I we woke up with loud explosion around us, so it was so terrible and I feel the same today because I remember it,” said Yana Krotova.
Yana, her husband, and 12-year-old son packed up and moved to Colorado about four months after the war started.
“We arrived with just one suitcase from our past life so we need to build a new, new life,” Krotova said.
With the war entering its third year, t's hard to tell what's next.
“We can't go back to my city because it's occupied now,” Krotova said. “I hope we can live without war, with peace around us. I want back my country back, my Mariupol.”
“Today is to raise awareness for where we are at right now and it's also to gain support for actions in the U.S. Congress to provide assistance to Ukraine,” said Mark Dillen, the director of public affairs for Ukrainians of Colorado.
Colorado Rep. Jason Crow (D) delivered the keynote speech at Saturday's rally.
In Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is welcoming Western leaders to mark two years since the war began, including Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Two years ago, here, we met enemy landing forces with fire; two years later, we meet our friends and our partners here,” Zelenskyy said at the airport just outside of Kyiv, which Russian paratroopers unsuccessfully tried to seize in the first days of the war.
In a message, Col. Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukraine's armed forces, thanked Ukrainian soldiers for their sacrifices and Western allies for their support, saying, “Every projectile, every tank, every armored vehicle is, first of all, saving the life of a Ukrainian soldier.”
The Associated Press contributed to the report.
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