Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made an appearance on the Grammy awards last night. As usual, stirring and eloquent.
In the pre-taped address, Zelensky said, “Our musicians wear body armor instead of tuxedos. They sing to the wounded in hospitals. Even those who can’t hear them… fill the silence with your music. Fill it today. Tell our story. Tell the truth about the war.”
The truth is, it appears to be far worse than we thought. From the Washington Post: “Zelensky calls Russian forces butchers as pullback reveals horrors.”
In Bucha, near the capital, alleged mass graves have been discovered. Hundreds dead. Satellite images seem to confirm it. Dead civilians line the streets. Their hands had been bound. Russia denies it. Zelensky calls it genocide.
The United Nations puts the civilian death toll in Ukraine at 14 hundred. The actual number could be much higher.
“Do you see this as genocide?” CNN’s Dana Bash asked Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He said, “Look, we will, we will look hard and document everything we see.”
Russia wants an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. What might they say about this? How to deny it?
I filled my Jeep up with gas yesterday. It was close to being empty. $105 dollars to fill it up. I complained to anyone who would listen.
Then, I saw that Ukrainian family who arrived at Tampa International Airport this morning. A mother, father and two children. Two suitcases. That’s all they had. It took weeks for them to get here including a stay at a refugee camp in Mexico.
A sponsor family is taking them in. No connection to them, just met them at the airport for the first time today.
Roaya Tyson is one of the hosts. She says, “I can’t imagine leaving everything you know. Your car, your possessions, your home, your family. So, we just said but for the grace of God, it’s not us. We have to pay it forward somehow.”
Over four million people have now fled Ukraine since Russia invaded. Can you imagine? I was complaining about gas prices. I’m not anymore.