Chicago area congressman, doctor reflect on year of war in Ukraine
CHICAGO (CBS) – One year since the war in Ukraine began, we took a look back, and forward: from Illinois legislators to Chicago-area medical personnel who've made the trip to Ukraine over the last 12 months.
They spoke to CBS 2's Chris Tye.
It's Europe's biggest war since World War II, but on the night before it began, it was Google traffic maps revealing the slow roll of Russian forces into Ukraine and revealed this war would be different than any that preceded it.
Over the past 12 months, governments have imposed stringent sanctions on Russia to pressure President Vladimir Putin to abandon the war. And while that's been unsuccessful, Ukraine's military has held its ground in ways few expected.
"The intel we were getting a year ago was that we thought the Russians would be in Kiev in a week or two," said U.S. Rep. Sean Casten.
Casten represents Illinois' 6th District. He said U.S. offering aid and intelligence has helped Ukraine reclaim control of cities Russia overtook in the war's early days. But some of Casten's colleagues have shown a desire to decrease aid.
"It is in Russia's foreign interest for the U.S. not to provide aid to Ukraine, not to be the enforcer of the post-World War II order, not to insure we are meeting the rule of law around the world and I've got a handful of colleagues across the aisle who are supportive of that idea," Casten said.
Last year, U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, of Indiana, said, "I support helping Ukraine expel the Russian invasion, but as inflation, gas prices and shortages wallop Americans here at home, I can't support $40 billion of new spending unless it's offset with cuts taken from already authorized funds."
Thousands have been killed, more than 8 million Ukrainians have fled. And while the U.S. has not sent in troops, American citizens, including some from Chicago, have traveled to Ukraine in humanitarian roles.
Dr. Jeremy Topin is a pulmonologist from Northbrook.
"You know, a lot of people have been resigned this war is gonna go on for a long time and a lot of the women and their family, the wives and their children, they didn't want to be gone from their husbands who are in the military, and so they're going back and so it's sort of distressing to see," Topin said.
He spoke with CBS 2 last spring about his trip into the war-torn nation. Topin said he wants to return but the instability of the region one year in is too much for his family to support.
So he's staying home as a war of Russian disinformation and Ukraine resilience wages on.
Casten said it's clear Putin has overplayed his hand and it's the job of the U.S. to support Ukraine without provoking Russia into escalating into World War III.
