Ukrainians in Naples react to President Zelenskyy’s address to Congress

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a plea to Congress Wednesday morning for a no-fly zone over his country, which has been bombed for close to a month now.

“I have a dream, these words are known to each of you today. I can say, I have a need. I need to protect our sky,” Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy addressed President Joe Biden directly.

“Peace in your country doesn’t depend anymore only on you and your people. It depends on those next to you,” he said.

In Southwest Florida, the Ukrainian community fears sanctions alone won’t be enough to stop the Russian invasion.

“But frankly speaking as for economical sanctions, the thing is that Russia people live in a poor way so most of them will probably not even experience their effects of the sanctions,” said Loga Skrypak, a Ukrainian refugee who made it to Naples with her four children.

Her husband and parents stayed behind in Ukraine.

Angelica Jones’ parents are also still in the war-torn nation.

Jones said President Joe Biden’s offer of billions in military aid is not enough.

“I’m happy with any help but when children are dying, when babies are dying, when people my parents age 75 and a half and 78 and a half have to leave, flee and I feel like, I’ll be honest, we’re not doing enough,” Jones said. “Americans, we are not doing enough.”

Jones, who was raised in Kyiv, said she is headed to Poland, her parents are going to cross the border and she hopes to bring them to the U.S. Jones has been living in Naples for about 30 years where she is a law student.

“It’s a nightmare but when it’s your momma and daddy and you’re the only child, that’s what you do,” Jones said.

Biden, for the first time, called Vladimir Putin a war criminal. It was his sharpest condemnation of him to date since the invasion of Ukraine.