Ukrainian flag raised at Manhattan park to mark 2 years since Russian invasion
NEW YORK -- New York City leaders raised the Ukrainian flag at Bowling Green Park in Manhattan on Saturday as the war-torn country's national anthem was performed.
Saturday marked two years since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, and the conflict shows no sign of stopping.
Mayor Eric Adams spoke at the flag-raising ceremony, telling the Ukrainian people to keep up their fight.
"You represent resiliency. You represent the spirit. Never surrender. They thought they would walk in and destroy your spirit. You showed them you may bend, but you will never break. You will never surrender until you have your homeland back," he said. "To the soldiers who have fought and the soldiers who have lost parts of their lives through this war, we want to tell them we get strength from you."
In Times Square, protests erupted, marking the solemn day and remembering those who continue to get caught in the destruction overseas.
In Passaic, New Jersey, people came together to pray during a candlelight vigil at Saint Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, remembering those still dealing with the bloodshed overseas.
"Every single day, you wake up and you're scared," church-goer Julia Roman said.
"It's very sad. It's been very difficult for all of us here because we have families, friends," another person said.
"When it's not fresh in people's minds, people forget about it and the war continues to go on," Passaic resident John Kotys said.
State leaders in the Tri-State Area are calling on Congress to pass aid to Ukraine.
On X, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said in part, "If our nation fails to support the people of Ukraine at his perilous hour, the repercussions -- for the entire free world -- will be disastrous."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "Republican lawmakers are refusing to support the Ukrainian people."
The Senate passed a national security package that includes aid to Ukraine, but the Republican-controlled House has not yet planned a vote.
In Ukraine on Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy laid flowers at a memorial for fallen soldiers in Kyiv. He was joined by several world leaders in a show of solidarity.
The Ukrainian forces are running low on ammunition, and President Joe Biden says getting them the resources is his top priority.
