As tensions simmer in Eastern Europe, NYC area Ukrainians and Russians holding out hope war will be avoided
NEW YORK — People in the Tri-State Area with family and friends in Ukraine and Russia are watching the developments closely.
CBS2's Lisa Rozner spoke to concerned residents in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, on Sunday.
Outside the Netcost supermarket on Ocean Avenue, which carries Eastern European specialty foods, most people who spoke to CBS2 have a connection to Ukraine or Russia.
"Hopefully, everything gets resolved and there's no war between Russia and Ukraine and everybody finds peace," Alan Mamdov said.
Councilwoman Inna Vernikov represents Brooklyn's District 48, where she says more than half of the constituents are from the former Soviet Union.
"I came over here when I was 12 years old from the former Soviet Union. It was already Ukraine when I came here and, look, I feel that right now Russian President Putin really sees the Biden administration as a continuation of the Obama era foreign policy. I think that he sees the leadership as very weak," Vernikov said. "I think that sanctions are way overdue. I think they should have been imposed yesterday."
She said she still has friends in Ukraine.
"They are disheartened about what's going on. They are ready to do whatever they can to defend their country," Vernikov said.
The Biden administration is warning of cyber attacks on U.S. companies if sanctions are imposed. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday night that in light of current geopolitical uncertainty she convened cabinet members to review cybersecurity preparedness, adding that "The reality is that because New York state is a leader in the finance, health care, energy, and transportation sectors. Our state is an attractive target for cyber criminals and foreign adversaries."
The bishop of the Stamford diocese of the Ukrainian Catholic Church led a prayer service at Saint Michael's Church in Yonkers on Sunday.
"The mobilization of the troops and that's up to the government and to the military, but we're organizing, mobilizing the people to pray," Bishop Paul Chomnycky said. "It seems that, you know, the tensions are growing and growing and people are ... I can see they're becoming more and more worried about it. Many of my faithful are recent immigrants from Ukraine. They have family members there."
The bishop is also in regular contact with faith leaders in Ukraine. They were all supposed to convene there this summer.
