BUTTE - Fifteen new United States citizens were recently sworn in in Butte.
“I will support and defend the Constitution,” the new citizens repeated in unison as they pledged their oath of allegiance.
People from Mexico, Iraq, Belarus, and the United Kingdom swore their allegiance to their new country during the ceremony.
“You know, you blame yourself that you are not in the Ukraine. You want to support people, but, at the same time, I feel huge relief that we’re here in a safe place for my family and my daughter,” said Sukonnikova.
Mykhailo Lytiuga and his wife, Tetyana Sukonnikova, are from Ukraine and live in Missoula.
Both received their U.S. citizenship one month apart.
“Maybe, excited, you know, I quite understand the ‘wow!’ It’s finally happened,” said Lytiuga.
The couple has been living in Missoula for the past seven years after fleeing Ukraine when the Russians first invaded Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014.
“My daughter just was born and almost every day I was worried that we have to flee out of the country. It was a really scary time,” said Sukonnikova.
Lytiuga agreed, “Montana is a pretty safe place, Missoula is a pretty safe, it’s very nice and kind friendly people.”
Like the rest of their fellow new citizens, they look forward to participating in the political process by voting and doing their civic duties.
Still, their heart aches for their countrymen in Ukraine who are in the midst of a brutal war.
“You know, you blame yourself that you are not in Ukraine. You want to support people, but, at the same time, I feel huge relief that we’re here in a safe place for my family and my daughter,” said Sukonnikova.
After the ceremony, 15 more people were naturalized that afternoon.
