Photo: BackGrid/SplashNews
Maksim Chmerkovskiyis holding on tight to his wife,Peta Murgatroyd.
The pair appeared to be in unison on Thursday, wearing sweatpants, sweatshirts, sneakers and sunglasses as they walked together on the sand. They weren’t afraid to show off a little PDA either, with Chmerkovskiy keeping his arm around Murgatroyd’s shoulder and hers tightly around his waist.
The beach stroll comes just one day after the couple — who wed in 2017 and share 5-year-old son Shai — had an emotionalreunion at Los Angeles International Airportafter Chmerkovskiy returned from Ukraine.
“I just don’t want to resent peace somewhere else because of what I just saw, that’s the reality. I don’t know really what to say right this second,” the Ukrainian-born dancer toldEntertainment Tonightafter arriving at the airport, following hisweek-long escape from Ukraine.
The specific details of how Chmerkovskiy got out of Ukraine are not yet known. Men in the age range of 18-60 hadreportedly been prohibitedfrom leaving the country under a mobilization order. Thousands of people have fled or tried to escape Ukraine amid warnings of a possible “refugee crisis.”
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In the days that followed, Chmerkovskiy had been documenting his experience amid the Russian invasion on social media. As he carefully made his way home, Murgatroyd, 35, turned to Instagram andasked her followers for prayers and well wishes.
“I don’t usually ask these things from my social media network, however, today is extremely hard and the next few will be even harder,” theDancing with the Starsprowrote, in part,last week. “My pain is overwhelming and I’m struggling, but you sending your positive light and love to him would mean the world to me. Truly, I wish for nothing more.”
“Please pray that he comes home soon. Please pray that he has a swift, safe exit,” Murgatroyd continued. “I have FAITH. I have HOPE and I have PRAYED so hard.”
The day before their reunion, she also shared a photograph of her family beside a lit candle andwrote, “I rotated candles and never let them blow out for those 5 days. 24/7 @maksimc I cannot wait to be with you again.”
On Friday, Chmerkovskiy had his first on-camera interview withGood Morning America, where he opened up about howhe feels “guilty” for leaving his home countrywhile others are not able to.
“I feel guilty. I feel bad. I feel ashamed. I feel upset,” Chmerkovskiy revealed during thebroadcast. “I’m a big boy, but I know for a fact that I’m going through something mentally … because I get into these cry moments, I’m emotional, I can’t control it.”
“I cried from the airport, I felt embarrassed … the entire ride back cause I was the only man on the train amongst all women and children,” Chmerkovskiy added.
The invasion has drawn condemnation around the world andincreasingly severe economic sanctionsagainst Russia. With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance. Ukrainian PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyycalled for peace talks — so far unsuccessful — while urging his country to fight back.
Putin insists Ukraine has historic ties to Russia and he is acting in the best security interests of his country.
Zelenskyy vowed not to bend. “Nobody is going to break us, we’re strong, we’re Ukrainians,“he told the European Unionin a speech in the early days of the fighting, adding, “Life will win over death. And light will win over darkness.”
source: people.com
