Concord stands up for Ukraine.

More than 200 residents of Concord and nearby towns took to Monument Square on February 27 to support Ukraine in its desperate fight against Vladimir Putin’s illegal and unprovoked invasion.

Large rallies were held elsewhere in the state, the U.S., and around the world as democracies everywhere felt the terrifying threat Russia has unleashed.

Irene and Ihor Kowal, former residents of Ukraine, made clear to those gathered in Concord Center what is at stake in this conflict for those who value freedom. (Read Irene’s remarks at the standout here). Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression reminded Phil Villers of his father’s role in the French resistance during World War II. (Read his blog below.)

Standing up against aggression

by Phillipe Villers

The news from Ukraine reminds me too much of my past as a refugee from occupied France and the experiences of my late father, Raymond Villers. He was an opponent of the 1938 Munich Agreement, which allowed Hitler to take over Czechoslovakia without a fight in exchange for “peace in our time.”

Instead, we got World War II. After the fall of France to the Nazis, my father, continued the fight by joining the “Free French” in London. (See attached photo from 1940.) I was five when my mother fled France with me and my sister, through Spain. We then ended up as refugees in Montreal.

Today we see history repeating itself in part as Putin, Hitler’s successor, invades Ukraine with overpowering military force. President Biden, having learned from the past, is not giving in but wisely taking strong economic measures to make the cost of aggression as high as possible.

As my father before me, I, along with many of you, wish to stand up against aggression by supporting international rules to maintain peace — for which the UN was created in 1946. I was pleased to see the strong show of support for Ukraine by residents of our town and neighboring communities.