Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have never let their political parties stop them from working together — and the two former presidents have once again joined forces to support Ukraine. Bill and George, both 75, made a joint appearance at a Ukrainian church in Chicago, IL on Wednesday, March 16. The Windy City (a nickname for Chicago) is notably known to have one of the largest Ukrainian populations in the United States and has been a “sister city” to Kyiv since 1991.
The pair held onto bouquets of sunflowers — the national flower of Ukraine — wrapped in blue and yellow ribbon as a show of solidarity. They wore wool jackets with blue and ribbon on their jacket lapels as they made their way through the historic Ukrainian Village, located on the west side of the sprawling city.
Two former US presidents – Democrat Bill Clinton and Republican George Bush – visited the Ukrainian church in Chicago, thus demonstrating their support for Ukraine.
The initiative was aimed at demonstrating US solidarity with the people of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/3PgHt0jyMF
— Alpha War News (@AlphaWarNews) March 19, 2022
Once they reached the Saints Volodymyr & Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church, Bill and George laid the flowers — purchased from a local Ukrainian florist — at the foot of stone cross outdoors as a show of support. The Ukrainian Cultural Center and Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art are also nearby the church.
Photos and video of the visit were shared to George’s Instagram page on March 18, which received an outpouring of support for their cause. “America stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as they fight for their freedom and their future,” Bush wrote in his caption.
Bill shared the same post to his Twitter page, writing, “America stands united with the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom and against oppression.” Like Bill, His wife Hillary Clinton has been outspoken in her support for Ukraine and their president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in recent days.
The former presidents also issued a joint statement via a representative. “In the spirit of seeing every American come together, it just made all the sense in the world to them,” their rep said to PEOPLE magazine.
The appearance comes 20 days after Russia, lead by Vladimir Putin, invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. The escalated the Russo-Ukrainian War, forcing many residents of the country — particularly in the capital city — to flee as refugees. The United States has been an advocate for Ukraine, sending $200 million in security aid and $800 million in military equipment.