Ambassador close to Dayton goes to Ukraine: “ready for peace”

Alex Pearson and Sartaj Singh

10 minutes ago

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — An ambassador with ties to the Miami Valley was invited to Ukraine, where he saw firsthand the struggles the country still faces after the Russian invasion.

Former Congressman and Dayton native Tony Hall said that during his visit to Ukraine, he saw firsthand the dire situation the country still faces.

2 NEWS spoke with the ambassador who visited Ukraine on the occasion of the National Prayer Breakfast. We learned more about the current situation in Ukraine.

Hall spoke of the chaos and destruction, as well as the Ukrainian people’s continued displays of resilience.

“It’s amazing how strong and resilient the people are that are there,” Hall said.

Hall represented Congress in showing support for Ukraine and its people.

“Many Ukrainians… are ready for peace,” Hall said.

Hall was able to connect with many Ukrainian officials, but before he could connect with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the event, a somber reminder was issued around him.

“And all of a sudden there was an air raid! He had to leave very quickly,” Hall said.

But during the airstrike, Hall saw firsthand the resilience of the Ukrainian people.

“Everybody was asked to go to the shelters, but nobody did. And it was really interesting… they felt safe,” Hall said.

He met with many locals to talk about the challenges they face: some have no electricity or even water. Hall also saw the damage around kyiv, visiting a school that was badly damaged but continues to provide education to children.

“A building that was a school for children. They fired a rocket and destroyed the whole school. The children still go to that school. And the whole school was demolished. That’s the kind of situation that this war is causing,” Hall said.

Hall shared Bible verses during his visit and also praised Ukraine for its steadfastness. He said Ukraine is aware of all the prayers and support the United States is sending it.

“You can see that they feel our prayers. They want the American people to continue to support them and pray for them. They need help. They need relief. But they also need our prayers,” Hall said.

Hall hopes the United States will continue to broker peace talks so that the violence can soon end and more innocent lives can be spared.