Aspen City Council stands in solidarity with Ukraine

Dr. John Prunskis, the honorable consul of Lithuania, appears before elected officials

Carolyn Sackariason

A woman and a man, wrapped in Ukrainian flags, hold a dog as they arrive at a humanitarian aid center, for displaced persons fleeing Ukraine, in Przemysl, Poland, Tuesday, March 8, 2022. U.N. officials said Tuesday that the Russian onslaught has forced more than 2 million people to flee Ukraine. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Aspen City Council passed a proclamation on Tuesday that uniformly stands in alliance with Ukraine, which has been under attack by Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, since last month.

“We are condemning the act of Russian aggression, we support the government and people of the sovereign nation of Ukraine and we urge the Aspen community to contribute resources to aid the people of Ukraine,” the proclamation reads in part.

Dr. John Prunskis, the honorable consul of Lithuania, who represents the Lithuanian consulate in Aspen, spoke to council on Tuesday during its regular meeting about the situation in in the region and his country’s relationship with Ukraine.

“Lithuania for centuries has been an ally of Ukraine, and, as you may know, Lithuania is in NATO, and Lithuania has been the principal mouthpiece for Ukraine whenever issues came up, because, unfortunately, Ukraine is not in NATO,” Prunskis said. “Now Lithuania and now Aspen stand in solidarity against the actions of war criminal Putin.”

A solidarity with Ukraine rally is scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Paepcke Park. Participants are asked to wear the Ukrainian colors of yellow and blue.

“My heart goes out to the people in Ukraine for what they are going through and the courage that they’ve shown,” said Councilman Ward Hauenstein. “All of us in the whole world are inspired by the courage that the people in Ukraine are showing now.”

csackariason@aspentimes.com

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