WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, authored an op-ed in The Day to share insights from his recent trip to Ukraine and explain why the ongoing crisis matters to Connecticut and the state’s Ukrainian-American community.

“Right now, more than 100,000 Russian troops sit on the border to Ukraine, threatening an invasion that would be the most serious assault on the post-World War II order in our lifetime. Recently, I spent a whirlwind 24 hours in Ukraine with six of my senate colleagues — including my Connecticut partner, Senator Blumenthal — that could not have come at a more pivotal time,” Murphy said.

Murphy continued: “The Ukrainian American community in Connecticut is strong and vibrant, and many people in our state have family and friends in Ukraine who may soon have to fight for their freedom. So before I left, I sat down for a virtual meeting with members of this community to talk about the goals of my trip and hear what message they wanted me to send. I shared my belief that the Ukrainian people should get to decide for themselves what their future looks like, and it should not be dictated to them by force.”

On his efforts back in Washington to support Ukraine in the face of an increasingly aggressive Russia, Murphy added: “Now, members of our delegation are negotiating the final details of a bipartisan sanctions package to increase the amount of security aid we provide Ukraine and make clear to Russia that there will be severe and crippling economic consequences if they invade Ukraine further. We are also working with our European allies to coordinate multilateral sanctions to raise the costs on Russia if it makes the disastrous decision to invade Ukraine.”

On why all Americans should care about the crisis in Ukraine, Murphy said: “While I know this issue is top of mind for our state's Ukrainian American population, I think there's good reason for us all to care deeply about the outcome of this crisis. Putin cannot be allowed to trample on the sovereignty of its democratic neighbor without consequence. And I will continue to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues, the Biden administration, and our international allies to prevent that from happening.”

You can read the full op-ed here.