Like the rest of the world, I was shocked and saddened to watch the invasion of Ukraine unfold in the last 11 days. Although exact numbers are hard to pin down in such a rapidly-evolving situation, early reports indicate that at least 10,000 soldiers on both sides and untold hundreds of civilians have already fallen in this war; meanwhile, over one million people have fled the country in this brief time (Miami Herald, Axios). Putin's self-interest cannot be placed above the rights of the Ukrainians to their lives, their democracy, and their freedoms. While the Ukrainian people are doing the most to maintain their freedom and stop Putin's aggression, many people around the world already understand the importance of this crisis and have taken to the streets in protest, opened their homes to refugees, traveled to Ukraine to volunteer, and donated to charities in support of the Ukrainian people. Although I am an ocean away from Ukraine, I hope these bonsai displays below will cause you to reflect on what you can do to help. For my part, I will be donating 10% of my bonsai seed sales to charities in Ukraine. At the links below you can also contribute directly to the National Bank of Ukraine in support of humanitarian aid or in support of their defense forces.
