LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles City Council has voted to begin the process of making war-torn Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, a sister city.

The council voted 14-0 Friday on a motion by Councilmember Joe Buscaino, who said he wanted to send a message of support to Kyiv's mayor. Buscaino also termed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine an “assault on humankind.”

The motion notes that formalizing a sister city relationship normally takes about a year, including meetings between citizens and governments. Because that’s not currently possible with Kyiv, the relationship will be formalized in the future.