Indiana Governor visits refugees as state cuts ties with Russia | national news

The divestment announcement came Monday with Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb visit a refugee camp for hundreds of Ukrainians in Slovakia as he embarked on a week-long trade mission to the European NATO country and Israel.

Holcomb said he would talk to Slovak officials about what help Indiana could provide. He said he was open to Ukrainian refugees coming to Indiana, but federal leaders will decide whether or not to transfer Ukrainians to the United States.

“You have the whole world saying, ‘We want to help.’ And sometimes that can be overwhelming in itself,” Holcomb told the (Northwest Indiana) Times in an online interview. and on the pitch, and that’s where we can help.”

The state divestment action comes after Holcomb ordered a review of the state’s financial ties to Russia following last month’s invasion, with many states seeking to take similar steps. The $147 million in Russia-related investments is only a small fraction of the $55 billion in investments overseen by Indiana’s public pension system.

Earlier this month, the Republican governor also signed into law a bill approved by state lawmakers barring Russian-controlled businesses from acquiring property in Indiana for one year.

Holcomb said he was reminded of the importance of peace and security when he and his wife joined the US ambassador to Slovakia in laying a wreath at the Freedom Gate Memorial in Bratislava, the country’s capital. The memorial commemorates people who died trying to escape from behind the Iron Curtain between 1945 and 1989.

Holcomb said the United States and its allies must stand with Ukraine against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I think the sooner he leaves the international stage, the better for humanity, and if he wants to put his people first, he will,” Holcomb said. “I don’t think we can believe anything Putin says. His actions prove that he is not trustworthy.