Former U.S Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush paid a joint visit to a Ukrainian church in Chicago on Friday to show their support for the country in the face of the Russian invasion.

The ex-presidents each laid sunflower bouquets – Ukraine‘s national flower at Saints Volodymyr and Olha Ukrainian Catholic Church, which is located in the heart of Chicago‘s vibrant Ukrainian Village neighbourhood.

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“America stands united with the people of Ukraine in their fight for freedom and against oppression,” both Clinton and Bush said on social media.

In a Facebook post, the house of worship thanked the former presidents for their visit.

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According to a video shared by Clinton and Bush, the US has maintained diplomatic relations with Ukraine since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The clip says, “Presidents Clinton and Bush worked to support Ukraine’s democratic institutions.”Both former presidents have urged Americans to support Ukraine.”

An unidentified church member says in the video that the flowers say “say in solidarity’ or Ukrainian ‘сoлдарно.'”

“They represent the struggle for freedom, which today is represented by the colours blue and yellow,” the man explains. “Blue for the sky, yellow for wheat, as Ukraine is Europe’s breadbasket, and now Ukraine is the citadel of freedom fighters.”

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Chicago has a sister city relationship with Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital. According to an Axios report, the Illinois city has more than 50,000 residents who claim Ukrainian ancestry, the second most of any metropolis in the country after New York City.

According to the United Nations, nearly 3.3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia invaded on February 24, with an additional 6.5 million fleeing to other parts of the country.