State to Divest From Russia Investments; Candidates Respond to Ukraine Crisis

All state agencies and authorities were told Sunday to review and divest public funds from Russia following that country’s attack on Ukraine.

“This was an unprovoked war. It is an issue that we take strong exception to, in fact, we strongly condemn the action of Putin and Russia for this unprovoked attack, which is now leading to atrocities against innocent human beings,” Hochul said. “And that is not tolerable. This is the State of New York and we are the home to the largest Ukrainian population in America. These are our fellow brothers and sisters. We worship with them. We go to restaurants with them, we celebrate their cultural festivals. They’re an important part of the fabric of New York State. So, an attack on their country is truly an attack on all of us.”

“New York State is home to the largest Ukrainian population in the United States, remains engaged with the Biden administration and is prepared to support refugees of the crisis and welcome them to the state. I want to say we are grateful to President Biden for his global leadership. This is a time when the country should be united behind our president because we’re having an attack on democracy, the likes of which we’ve not seen since World War II,” Hochul said.

US Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-Huntington, who is running against Hochul for governor, said that politics shouldn’t be a factor in American  response to the war. “Politics and partisanship must stop at the water’s edge. Democrats and Republicans must have a united front against Putin’s lying, ruthless manipulation, and his violent murder of Ukrainian people.

“Heavy sanctions against Putin and his cronies, an embargo of Russian oil, and aid to Ukraine are all things we agree upon.

“Whether or not to close a United Nations mission should be negotiated with the State Department and we should seek a bipartisan consensus,” he said. Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin had both demanded that President Biden shut down a Russian mission in Glen Cove. However, the estate belongs to the United Nations, and not under the control of the federal government.

“We as New Yorkers must seek assistance from the Wall Street community to determine the most effective way to crush Russia economically. As Governor, I would call all Wall Street and banking leaders together to seek a concerted action plan.”

And Nassau Legislator Josh Lafazan, who is running to succeed Suozzi in Congress, will host a supply drive for Ukrainian refugees Thursday at the Woodbury Jewish Center, from 10 am to 1 pm.

“The unprovoked and unprecedented attacks on the sovereign state of Ukraine have already begun to cause needless suffering ,” Lafazan said. “The recent events have created a need for emergency assistance to surrounding areas accepting refugees. It is critical that members of the Long Island community do our part in donating what we can to aid vulnerable people in this pivotal point in history.”

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