Rep. Sherrill Meets with NJ Ukrainian American Community Amidst Tensions At Ukrainian Border 

Whippany, NJ–– Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) sat down with leaders from the Ukrainian American community at the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey this week as Russia continues to station armed forces along Ukraine’s borders.

“North Jersey and the surrounding area has one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora in America. As the Russian aggression at the Ukrainian border continues, I sat down with Ukrainian American community leaders this week to hear their concerns,” said Rep. Sherrill. “The sense of unity exhibited by the Ukrainian American community here in New Jersey parallels that of the unity I saw in Kyiv when I traveled there last month with the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The Ukrainian population both at home and living abroad are proud of their homeland and want to see their democracy and sovereignty continue to flourish.”

Rep. Sherrill traveled to Kyiv, Ukraine last month on a congressional trip led by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. There she met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well as other top officials to discuss their preparedness and needs to defend themselves against a possible Russian invasion.

“Our community members left the meeting with Congresswoman Sherrill, with a solid reassurance that she is committed to making Putin think twice about further invading Ukraine.  While a return of Russian troops to their bases is certainly the preferred course of action, she made it clear that the United States must continue to act as a beacon of democracy, and not permit authoritarian regimes to believe that attacking their sovereign neighbors will go unpunished.  In Congresswoman Sherrill, CD-11 Ukrainian Americans have a strong advocate on Capitol Hill, for which we are grateful,” said former Randolph Township Mayor Roman Hirniak. 

The Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey provides a space for the local Ukrainian community to come together for the preservation of Ukrainian heritage and culture, and to promote and conduct educational and social programs for persons of Ukrainian descent and for the community at large.

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