POLAND (WHDH) — Two members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation spoke Friday about their recent visit to the Ukrainian border as Russia continues its attacks against the country.
Congressman Stephen Lynch led the bipartisan group, which included Congresswoman Lori Trahan, to Eastern Europe earlier this week. 7’s Adam Williams was the only reporter in Poland alongside these lawmakers as they met with aid workers and witnessed the refugee crisis firsthand.
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“Usually when I visit a country where we have refugee flow, we visit camps. We don’t see any camps here. Not like in Syria or Iraq or Afghanistan,” Lynch said. “Here, every single refugee is being housed in a private home. I’ve never seen it before.”
“We’re so proud of what the Polish people are doing,” said Trahan. “It’s an example for all of us to follow in terms of how we deal with refugees.”
After arriving at the train station in Przemysl, Lynch and Trahan met with American service members and spoke with refugees who left their homes and their families to escape the Russian bombs.
When asked if and how Massachusetts would welcome Ukrainian refugees, Trahan said she believed Bay Staters would set the example.
“I do expect Massachusetts to lead in this regard. We have had a long history of welcoming asylum seekers and refugees — not just to our country but to our state,” she said.
Their trip came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a passionate plea to Congress for more aid. The US has already committed more than $15 billion to the war-torn country.
Now, Lynch and Trahan say they have gained a new understanding of the human toll Putin’s actions have taken on Ukraine and what the US can do to try to put an end to so much suffering.
“We’re going to be staying with Ukraine until the end. Until they win,” said Trahan.
“Their families are dying. Their men are at war,” said Lynch. “So as much as we see it on TV, to really see the emotion here — the desperation in some cases — is heart-wrenching. And so it lights a fire under us in terms of getting aid here and helping as much as possible.”
Lynch met with a United Nations coordinator who said most Ukrainians want to stay in a neighboring country. Of the refugees who want to leave Europe, their top two destinations are the US and Canada. The congressman noted that almost all of them have family they can stay with.
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