TAMPA, FLA. — Students attending the University of South Florida are worried about their friends and family in Ukraine.
Karyna Builova attends USF. She is a junior. She moved to the United States at the age of 14.
"I don’t know when is going to be the next time I see my family because there’s still my dad, my mom, and younger sister still in Ukraine. I still have my best friend who also lives in Ukraine," said Builova.
Builova said she was able to speak to her family, but worries that may change in the future.
"If they're not going to be responding to me for a while, I don’t know if it’s just because they don’t have electricity or because they are not safe right now. I worry about their safety and well-being," she said.
President Joe Biden ordered new sanctions targeting Russia on Thursday. President Biden said Russian leader Vladimir Putin "chose this war" and his country will bear the consequences.
"Putin's aggression against Ukraine will end up costing Russia dearly economically and strategically. We will make sure of that," said President Biden.
Many Ukrainians in several cities are preparing for the uncertainty ahead. They lined up to withdraw money from banks and stocked up on gas and other supplies.
Western Ukraine and Poland are also bracing for an influx of refugees who are fleeing the fighting and bombing.
President Biden said he had no intention of speaking with President Putin at the moment, but said he believes Putin wants to go beyond Ukraine. If he does move into the NATO countries, The United States will be involved, he said.
