'Unacceptable' Ohio Governor Says Of Russia's Ukraine Invasion

OHIO — Gov. Mike DeWine joined the chorus of Ohio politicians condemning the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his nation's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, after days of border conflicts and posturing by Putin. Russian troops and armor approached the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Friday, with "gunfire and explosions resonating ever closer to the government quarter," the Associated Press reported.

In a joint statement with Minnesota Gov. Walz, Ohio's governor described Russia's invasion as a "violation of international law." DeWine and Walz are co-chairs of the presidentially-appointed Council of Governors.

"This is unacceptable, and all freedom-loving people should stand against this unprovoked invasion,” DeWine said. "Ukraine has been a sovereign and independent state since the collapse of the former Soviet Union in the 1990s. The United States and Ukraine share common values including freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Our thoughts are with the Ukrainian people.”

DeWine is not the first or only Ohio politician to lambast Putin and call for American support of Ukraine. Rep. Marcy Kaptur, a Democrat from Toledo, and co-chair of the U.S. House's Congressional Ukraine Caucus, condemned Putin on Thursday.

"The great conflicts of the past have taught us that Putin's aggression cannot be tolerated," the caucus said. "As missiles tear through Ukraine's skies, and tanks begin to roll through its streets — the Free World must rise up in its defense."

Ohio's Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman also condemned Russia's actions and called for support of Ukraine. Their comments were echoed by a host of state representatives.

Members of Ohio's Ukrainian community described the invasion as a "shock" and a source of "horror."

Marianna Klochko, president of the Ukrainian Cultural Association of Central Ohio, has family and friends that live in eastern and central Ukraine. She said she has not heard from her relatives in the eastern portion of the nation.

"I personally cried all the way to work. It was so heartbreaking and inconceivable," she told Patch.

Reporting from the Associated Press was used in this article.