When Ukraine refugees started pouring into Germany in 2022, Sylvie Thompson knew she needed to do something to help.

And she did that by falling back on her knowledge of the Russian language.

“I don’t speak it extremely fluently, but I learned the language in school,” Thompson said. “A lot of Ukrainian refugees were unable to speak German or English as a secondary language, but they know enough Russian that they can communicate in that language.”

Thompson was the presenter at the Voices United of Rural Linn County meeting Wednesday, July 9, at Whitey’s Bar and Grill.

Thompson said that the attack from Russia on Ukraine in 2022 had been a surprise, and shortly after, many Ukraine refugees started coming to Germany. Many of them women and children and some elderly people as well, most from eastern Ukraine.

“They were seeking shelter from a war they did not want,” Thompson said.

Germany made sure that those fleeing from the war were given refugee status, allowing them the ability to work in the country, as well as find other assistance.

Thompson volunteered once a week in a food bank in Munich.

She recounted the story of an elderly man having trouble asking for one of the vegetables he was looking for, not being able to find the word for cucumber in German. Thompson knew the word cucumber in Russian and was able to communicate that with others about what he was looking for.

Thompson said that Germany was very cautious to send weapons to aid Ukraine in their fight at first, but have since done more.

“Public opinion on support for Ukraine was split in the country,” Thompson said. “There are some that view the Ukraine conflict as one representative of all of Europe, that if Putin invaded Ukraine and got his way, he may do so to other countries.”

Germany is now one of the biggest weapon suppliers to Ukraine in the conflict.

A question asked how Germany helped refugees resettle.

Germany instituted a law providing temporary protection for refugees shortly after the conflict started, allowing refugees to apply for housing, work and other assistance.

“Most of these refugees only want to be here as a temporary status,” Thompson said.

Another questioner asked if she was worried that Putin may attack other countries. Many of the other neighboring countries to Russia’s west border are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, meaning if they are attacked, other countries would come to their defense.

“Putin still fears NATO,” Thompson said.

She said that Trump talking about not allowing Ukraine to be part of NATO or walking out of the agreement for the United States emboldens Putin’s objectives.

Thompson was also asked about how she felt seeing the results of the 2024 election and Trump re-elected.

“My jaw has dropped a number of times since he took office again,” Thompson said. “The real worry was the press conference that Zelenskyy and President Trump and Vice President Vance was a real eye opener of how far things have fallen.”

Thompson said she’s worried that Trump damaged the trans-Atlantic partnerships of the United States to a degree that is not known yet.

She also took issue with Trump’s envoy to Russia/Ukraine.

She was asked about communication many Ukraine refugees have with their families. Because many of their family are in an active war zone with limited electricity, that greatly limits communication channels.

Most of the refugees have arrived in Germany by train. Others have come through countries like Moldova and Poland to arrive at Germany.

Because Germany is the largest economy in Europe, they are taking on more refugees.

Thompson said there is a far-right presence in Germany opposed to this, though.

She was asked if she was scared to travel to the United States, and Thompson said no, primarily because of her skin complexion and hair color that she was not one to be targeted.

Thompson said many Germans realize that the refugees are helping to benefit the economy, taking many jobs that otherwise would not be completed.