Colorado and Ukrainian residents are paying attention to Russian conflict

Colorado's military and academic communities are actively interested in the Russian conflict in Ukraine, according to new Google Trends data and analysis.

How it works: Google measures search interest on a scale of 0-100, which reflects the percentage of total Google searches dedicated to a topic.

• The 5th District in Colorado Springs and the 2nd District from Boulder to Fort Collins paid the most attention compared with others in the state.

Why it matters: How the U.S. responds as Russia begins to invade Ukraine is becoming a political pinch point: Some Republicans want to see stronger consequences, while some Democrats are focused on diplomacy.

Where Colorado stands: The state's congressional delegation is so far expressing support for Ukraine, according to statements. U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat in the 6th District, visited last weekend with Ukrainian officials in Europe and expressed support for the country's leaders.

• Rep. Doug Lamborn, a Republican in the 5th District, issued a strong statement saying the U.S. should "continue to pursue and enact all measures within our power to impose stiff costs on the Russian government until Ukraine is free."

Between the lines: The early search interest in the 5th District is possibly related to the high concentration of military installations in the area.

• In late January, the Army's 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson was placed on "increased readiness" ahead of the expected Russian invasion of Ukraine.

By the numbers: Colorado is home to nearly 11,000 Ukrainian Americans, according to the 2019 figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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