TAMPA — The war has been a time of uncertainty for Ukrainians around the world, including in Tampa Bay.

Spectrum News spoke with two people who described the beginning of the war as shocking and the three years since as painful. They hope going forward there is U.S. support for Ukraine.

“Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced, forced to leave everything behind - our homes, our cities, our lives,” said Angi Denysenko, a Ukrainian refugee.

Denysenko’s family is among them. They fled their town in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine after Russian forces moved in.

“We fled from war, from bombed-out cities, from destruction,” she said. “My own city is under occupation. My home is no longer mine. Strangers live there now, and I’m not alone.”

Yuriy Tymoshenko watched the war unfold from afar. His family came to the U.S. from Ukraine when he was 18. He served in the Marines and built a life here.

“I’ve been throughout the Middle East and I’ve seen conflict zones before,” he said. “I just didn’t think Ukraine would become, not only a conflict that I’ve been to, but this is probably the biggest conflict we had in Europe since World War II.”

Both Denysenko and Tymoshenko say Ukrainians are weary of war.

“It’s painful. It’s really very painful. It needs to be stopped. We’re very tired,” Denysenko said.

For Denysenko, her future concerns have to do with her family’s temporary protected status.

“What happens if we lost our legal status? For many of us, there is nowhere to return to,” she said.

The U.S. and Russia held peace talks last week that Ukraine wasn’t invited to take part in.

Yuriy says he is surprised by what he says appears to be America’s softening stance on Russia.

“I’m concerned. I’m deeply concerned about our American standing, and I’m deeply concerned about lasting Ukrainian security,” he said.

He would like to see both the U.S. and Europe work together to see what more they can do to help Ukraine, including with sanctions and military aid.