To show solidarity with the Ukrainian people as they face an invading Russian miliary, the Oklahoma Senate passed a resolution of support on Monday. Introduced by Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat and co-authored and presented by Senator Roger Thompson, Senate Resolution 27 was passed on the Senate floor.
“We stand with the people of Ukraine and call on the citizens of Oklahoma to join us in praying for their safety and freedom. We have longstanding ties with Ukraine, with immigrants from that region arriving in Oklahoma even before statehood,” Treat said. “What Russia has done is unacceptable, illegal and immoral. The free world is outraged by their aggression and moved by the determination of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his people to defend their sovereign democracy.”
Thompson performed mission work in Ukraine in the 1990s as board president and CEO for Good News International Foundation. He says the people of Oklahoma and of Ukraine share ties past and present.
“While we haven’t had to face war on Oklahoma soil, we’ve faced other hardships, from the Dustbowl to the Murrah bombing. We’re people with a heart, and these people are hurting. My wife and I still have many friends in Ukraine and we’ve tried to stay in touch and find out how they are as the invasion has unfolded. It’s a frightening situation and they need and deserve our support,” Thompson said. “We’re going to stand for democracy and freedom, and with the Ukrainians as they defend their freedom. When your president is on the front line fighting, it’s easy to stand with people like that.”
