City of Charlotte suspends ties with its Russian sister city

CHARLOTTE — Charlotte leaders voted Monday night to suspend sister city ties with Russia.

The vote comes as peace talks between Ukraine and Russia are expected to resume Tuesday.

The Charlotte City Council will review its sister city relationship with Voronezh, Russia “one year following the declaration of peace.”

During a city council meeting a few weeks ago, Mayor Vi Lyles said though the relationship with Voronezh isn’t active, Charlotte will separate itself from the city.

“Charlotte has a sister city in Russia, it’s called Voronezh,” Lyles said in the meeting. ”According to our staff, we have not had any interaction with them since the summer of 2015. And today, we will begin the process to sever that relationship.”

[UPDATES: Russia attacks Ukraine]

“Charlotte’s Sister City relationships are run by a committee of volunteers,” the city of Charlotte’s webpage states. “The City encourages citizen diplomacy and direct contact with our sister cities through educational, cultural and civic exchanges.”

Charlotte became a sister city to Voronezh in 1991.

Charlotte’s decision came hours after Governor Cooper ordered state agencies to terminate agreements with Russian entities, including the sale of Russian-made alcohol.

Cooper said the order helps ensure no public dollars from North Carolina will benefit Russia’s “unjustified aggression.”

[READ MORE: ABC Commission suspends liquor products from Russian entities under orders from Cooper]

Overnight, Russian forces continued their push into Ukraine’s capital city, Kyiv. New satellite images show the buildup of Russian tanks -- part of a larger 40-mile convoy of armored vehicles.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is accusing Russia of war crimes for its bombing of civilian areas. Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova told Congress her country needs more weapons.

“We need more weapons,” she said. “We are not asking anyone to fight for us, we are defending our country ourselves. But we need all the support that all the civilized world can give us.”

A group of senators is asking President Joe Biden to give temporary protected status to Ukrainians who are in the US.

Charlotte is home to roughly 1,000 Ukrainian nationals.

(Watch the video below: Images of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine)

WATCH: Images of Russia's invasion of Ukraine (NCD)

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