Winnipeg mayor pledges $10K out of his office budget to aid embattled Ukrainian sister city

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman announced Thursday that a $10,000 contribution from his office budget will be allocated to people displaced in Lviv, Ukraine, by the invasion of Russian troops.

Winnipeg has deep connections with the eastern European nation by way of immigration and its sister relationship with Lviv, the country's second-largest city, since 1973, Bowman said in a news release.

He also wrote to Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi to express Winnipeg's solidarity with Lviv and all Ukrainians.

There have been regular correspondence between the two mayors since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, sparking "passionate, empathetic responses from Winnipeggers," Bowman said.

Winnipeg has about 100,000 residents who have ethnic ties to Ukraine.

The two mayors met virtually in April 2021 to discuss matters ranging from COVID-19 response to economic development. There were plans to welcome a delegation from Lviv in Winnipeg at some point, but those plans are now on hold, the release says.

The Canada-Ukraine Foundation is taking donations to aid the country as it battles a Russian invasion, as is the Canadian Red Cross.

Bowman hopes Winnipeggers will consider making a donation to assist with the urgent needs of Ukrainians.

More than one million people have fled Ukraine following Russia's invasion, and the UN says they will be followed by millions more unless the fighting stops immediately.

However, there appeared to be no sign of that, as Russian forces continue to take control of Ukrainian cities. In the south, the port of Mariupol is surrounded by Russian troops, according to Ukrainian officials. Near the capital Kyiv, a large Russian convoy continues to threaten the city but has moved little in recent days.