Condemnations of Russia increase from the Bay Area due to the invasion of Ukraine.
Just this Monday, a bill was introduced in the state Legislature to divest Russian investments, and later in the day, San Jose City Hall announced that its building would be lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag every night until Sunday.
The Monterey County Board of Supervisors announced Monday night that it will consider a resolution at its Tuesday meeting with condemnations of Russia for its invasion.
"San Jose stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they suffer unimaginable atrocities and fight for their freedom. We pray for the strength and ??safety of our Ukrainian neighbors and refugees during this critical time," said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
State Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, co-authored a bipartisan bill to divest state public funds from Russia and Russian state entities.
"As a state, it is our responsibility to make sure we are not fueling this global crisis that has caused tremendous human suffering," Cortese said. "I hope other governments will follow California's lead in standing up for peace and taking swift action against this unwarranted attack."
The moves join similar actions previously announced by several officials in the Bay Area.
Meanwhile, Dmytro Kushneruk, Consul General of Ukraine in San Francisco, spoke with U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat from California, after the attack.
According to the consul general's office, Kushneruk "asked the senator to make every effort to implement a system of effective countermeasures to counter Russian aggression."
Padilla issued his own statement, saying the United States "will stand with the brave people of Ukraine and continue to coordinate with our allies to impose severe costs on Putin and his cronies."
Other Bay Area members of Congress issued similar calls for unity against Russia, with Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, calling Putin "a ruthless dictator whose actions are a threat to democracies everywhere" and Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, saying that "attacks on free and sovereign countries will have grave consequences."
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