“The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.”

— John F. Kennedy

Right now, the Ukrainian people are paying the high price for their freedom. Fathers and husbands are sending their loved ones to other European countries with an uncertain future. Men and women remain to fight the invading Russians.

And fighting is what they are doing with much success so far. They are keeping the Russians at bay outside major Ukrainian cities. While no official numbers have been released, an independent Ukrainian news site is reporting more than 3,000 Russian troops have been killed and 200 Russian soldiers captured.

On Saturday, Ukraine’s health minister, Viktor Liashko posted on Facebook that a total of 198 Ukrainians have been killed.

Led by their president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, The Ukrainian army and citizen soldiers are putting up a courageous fight to keep their freedom. While the Russian army is taking on more casualties than its generals probably planned for when starting the invasion a few days ago, the sheer number of troops and equipment still presents an overwhelming challenge for Ukraine’s fighters.

Meanwhile, refugees from Ukraine continue to flood into Poland and other European countries. Some news outlets are reporting 368,000 refugees from Ukraine. And the Europeans are reacting with outpouring generosity. But the sheer numbers of refugees will result in a lot of suffering.

How does this all end? Can the Ukrainian fighters continue to keep the Russian army at bay?

At this point, there are no clear answers.

However, there is one questions for us here in the U.S. How can we help Ukraine?

No. 1, we continue to urge the Biden Administration to work with NATO allies and other countries in the world community to inflict punishing sanctions on Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is a bully. There is only one way to deal with a bully — stand up to him. Ukraine is standing up to Putin right now and the rest of the world should follow that example.

Meanwhile, here in the U.S., there are ways we can help as individuals.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article in its Sunday edition: “How Minnesotans can help the people of Ukraine.”

Here are their suggestions:

• The Ukraine Ministry of Defense. The funds will be used for humanitarian support for Ukraine’s armed forces, which includes logistical and medical support. Go to ukraine.ua

• Razom for Ukraine provides tactical training and medical supplies. Go to razomforukraine.org

• United Help Ukraine. It’s providing lifesaving first-aid kits to the front lines. The organization also helps the families of those wounded or killed in war. Go to unitedhelpukraine.org

• Sunflower of Peace. It’s raising funds for first aide medical backpacks for paramedics and doctors on the front lines. Go to facebook.com/sunflowerofpeace

• Ukrainian Red Cross Society. Volunteers and staff provide first aid in areas where medical access is limited. Go to redcross.org.ua/en

• UNICEF. It’s ensuring Ukrainian children have access to safe water, nutrition, health care, education and protection during the invasion. unicef.org/ukraine/en

• Voices of Children. It provides psychological and psychological support for children caught up in the middle of the armed conflict. voices.org.ua/en

• The Kyiv Independent. It’s a Ukrainian-English news site and provides up-to-date information on Russia’s invasion. Go to GoFundMe

Use caution when donating to any site that claims to be helping a cause.