As the world watches President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in person for the first time since 2019, Ukrainian's right here in the Tampa Bay area are watching anxiously.

"We all hope for a miracle, but I don't think that they believe that something could be, could be, you know, achieved, to be honest," says Iryna Karavan, who was born in Ukraine but moved to Tampa Bay in 2010.

Karavan is also the president of Branch 124 of the Ukrainian Women's League of America.

She says her community sees today's meeting as the right step forward, but until Ukraine has a seat at the table, no peace deal can be signed.

"Ukraine and Russia must be the ones who sign this agreement," says Karavan.

Karavan still has family living in western Ukraine, she says they have been safe, but the war makes

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