Three years after Russian invasion of Ukraine, hundreds rally for continued U.S. support
'I am a Ukrainian American because there is still a Ukraine, because we are a free and independent nation,' said Smozhanyk, co-founder of the Illinois nonprofit Ukrainian Daughters Foundation. 'If Russia were to stop fighting this very second, there would be no more war. If Ukraine were to stop defending itself, there would be no more Ukraine.'
Hundreds gathered downtown Saturday, waving Ukrainian flags and carrying signs that read 'Ukraine is not for sale' and 'Putin the war criminal.' The group, which included politicians and veterans of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, also sang the Ukrainian national anthem and marched down Michigan Avenue.
The rally was held to mark three years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has turned into Europe's largest conflict since World War II. The group also pushed for economic and military support from the U.S. and for strengthening sanctions on Russia.
Tens of thousands have been killed in the war, entire cities have been reduced to smoldering ruins, and millions of Ukrainians became refugees.
'Ukrainian people have shown unparalleled courage in the face of brutal aggression. They are defending the same values that America stands for. Victory for Ukraine is victory for the United States and for the free world,' said Mariya Dmytriv-Kapeniak, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America's Illinois division.
However, as senior Russian and U.S. officials are talking again and setting the stage for a summit meeting, Putin appears closer than ever to cementing Moscow's gains of about a fifth of Ukraine's territory and keeping the country out of NATO.
President Donald Trump sharply reversed the three-year U.S. policy of isolating Russia when he called Putin and said afterward that they agreed 'to work together very closely' to end the war. He said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy 'will be involved' in negotiations but didn't elaborate. On Wednesday, Trump called Zelenskyy a 'dictator without elections.'
Kyiv had benefited from years of staunch support from its allies in the U.S. and Europe that had provided crucial military and financial support to help defend against Moscow's grinding incursions. Because of Russia's invasion in February 2022, Ukraine has delayed elections that were scheduled for April 2024.
Dmytriv-Kapeniak called on U.S. leaders to continue 'exerting economic and diplomatic pressure on Putin's regime.' She called Trump's recent comments 'very hard' and 'disheartening' but said supporting Ukraine isn't a partisan issue.
'If (the) United States fails Ukraine right now, it fails democracy,' she said. 'It fails the values that it stands for.'
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, co-chair of the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, said at the rally that it's important to stand with Ukraine 'because we don't want a sovereign democratic nation wiped off the face of the earth.' Defending Ukraine makes the U.S. safer, he said.
'Victory means the 1991 borders. Victory means returning the stolen children,' said Quigley, D-Ill. 'Victory means returning prisoners of war, rebuilding Ukraine, holding those accountable through reparations and for war crimes.'
The price of the war has been 'tremendous,' with many Ukrainians losing a relative, friend or neighbor, said Liliia Popovych, a board member on the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America's Illinois division. Because of these sacrifices, she said, Ukraine won't give up the fight.
'If the new administration says that Ukrainians may become Russian one day, we never (were) Russian, we are not Russian and we never will be Russian,' she said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
a few seconds ago
- Business Wire
PublicSquare Grateful for Closure of Politically Motivated CFPB Investigation into Credova
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PSQ Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: PSQH) ('PublicSquare' or the 'Company') was pleased to receive notification from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ('CFPB') that it had formally closed the investigation into Credova Financial, LLC ('Credova'), a wholly owned subsidiary of PublicSquare. As the Bureau confirmed to Credova, it was closing the investigation because it 'has determined that this investigation exemplifies the type of weaponization against disfavored industries and individuals that President Trump and Acting Director Vought are committed to ending,' and that 'the record of this investigation clearly demonstrates that it was conducted in a biased manner that targeted Credova's exercise of its constitutional rights and facilitation of others' exercise of their constitutional rights.' The Bureau determined that its investigation of Credova 'was not aimed at protecting consumers, but at suppressing activities protected by the First and Second Amendment.' 'The conclusion of the CFPB's investigation confirms the strength and integrity of our company and validates the trust our merchants and consumers place in us,' commented Michael Seifert, Chairman and CEO of PublicSquare. 'This outcome is a win for our entire company, our board, our customers, and a 2nd Amendment community that has seen years of government attempts to regulate businesses like ours out of existence. We would like to thank President Trump, Acting Director Vought, CFPB Chief Legal Officer Mark Paoletta, CFPB Senior Adviser Jeff Clark, and the CFPB staff for their internal review of this investigation and commitment to ensuring the Bureau operates free from political bias and suppression of constitutional rights. PublicSquare remains committed to scaling responsibly, delivering long-term value to our shareholders, and advancing our mission to build an economy rooted in liberty.' 'For more than four years, Credova was forced to defend itself from what we always believed was a politically motivated investigation that was less about consumer protection and more about targeting lawful commerce tied to the Second Amendment,' stated Dusty Wunderlich, Chief Strategy Officer & Board Member of PublicSquare and former President of Credova. 'From our view, this was the most recent in a line of attempts to weaponize government against businesses that refuse to conform to a specific political agenda. We did not yield. We stood firm in defense of our mission, our merchants, and the constitutional rights of the Americans we serve. The conclusion of this investigation is a victory not just for our company, but for every business and citizen who believes that freedom must never be compromised.' Blake Masters, PublicSquare Board Member and leader in the 2nd Amendment Community, commented, 'The closure of this investigation is a strong reminder that when businesses stand firm against government intimidation, freedom wins. This victory affirms that the right to commerce, like the right to self-defense, is fundamental to our liberty.' About Credova Credova (a subsidiary of PublicSquare) was founded to fill a critical gap in the marketplace, providing modern, point-of-sale financing solutions to merchants and consumers in underserved sectors such as outdoor recreation and the firearms industry. For many merchants, Credova and PublicSquare are their only access to the kinds of financial tools that other industries take for granted. About PublicSquare PublicSquare is a Financial Technology Company that protects life, family, and liberty. PublicSquare operates under three segments: Financial Technology, Marketplace, and Brands. PublicSquare's Financial Technology segment includes Credova, a consumer financing service, and PSQ Payments, a 'cancel-proof' payments company. The primary mission of the Marketplace segment is to help consumers 'shop their values' and put purpose behind their purchases. PublicSquare leverages data and insights from the Marketplace to assess its customers' needs and provide high-quality, wholly owned financial products and brands. PublicSquare's Brands segment comprises EveryLife, a premium D2C life-affirming baby products company. The PublicSquare Marketplace is free to join for both consumers and business owners. Download the app on the App Store or Google Play, or visit to learn more.
The Hill
a few seconds ago
- The Hill
Boston mayor to Bondi on ‘sanctuary' threats: ‘Stop attacking our cities'
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (D) struck back Tuesday at the Trump administration's legal threats over her city's immigration policies with a blistering letter asserting Boston won't 'bow down to unconstitutional threats or unlawful coercion' from the federal government. 'The U.S. Attorney General asked for a response by today, so here it is: stop attacking our cities to hide your administration's failures,' Wu wrote in a social media post linking to her formal letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi sent letters last week to 32 state and local governments that have been deemed ' sanctuary jurisdictions,' including Boston, warning that they could lose federal funds or face legal action if they do not assist with President Trump's sweeping immigration enforcement efforts. 'For too long, so-called sanctuary jurisdiction policies have undermined this necessary cooperation and obstructed federal immigration enforcement, giving aliens cover to perpetrate crimes in our communities and evade the immigration consequences that federal law requires,' Bondi wrote to Wu and other local letters. In her formal reply to Bondi, Wu lauded safety measures Boston has taken to tackle crime, often in partnership with federal authorities. 'Our City's longstanding and productive partnership with state and federal law enforcement to protect the people of Boston far predates your tenure,' Wu wrote to Bondi. 'The Boston Police Department, the first municipal police department in the United States, works closely with state and federal agencies to address counterterrorism threats, protect our airport and our harbor, combat drug and human trafficking and hold perpetrators accountable for crimes.' She blasted the Trump administration for lobbing 'false and continuous attacks on American cities.' 'On behalf of the people of Boston, and in solidarity with the cities and communities targeted by this federal administration for our refusal to bow down to unconstitutional threats and unlawful coercion, we affirm our support for each other and for our democracy,' Wu wrote. 'Boston will never back down from being a beacon of freedom, and a home for everyone.' The Justice Department didn't immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. The Trump administration has taken aim at cities and states — mostly ones led by Democrats — that have high crime rates or have not aided the mass immigration arrests and deportations that Trump has pushed. The president last week declared a public safety emergency in the District of Columbia and seized control of the Metropolitan Police Force (MPD) and sent members of the National Guard and federal law enforcement agencies in a sweeping crime crackdown in the nation's capital. Trump deployed Marines and National Guard troops in Los Angeles in June amid protests over Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
The Hill
a few seconds ago
- The Hill
California regulators back moves to boost zero-emissions vehicles as feds take on state's standards
California regulators on Tuesday vowed to strengthen their commitment to slashing harmful vehicular emissions as the Trump administration ramps up efforts to overturn the state's pollution policies. 'Clean air efforts are under siege, putting the health of every American at risk,' Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), said on a Tuesday press call. 'California is continuing to fight back and will not give up on cleaner air and better public health — we have a legal and moral obligation,' she added. Randolph spoke alongside the publication of a new CARB report that outlined ways the state could fight back: by accelerating zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) adoption via increased private investment, government incentives and changes in ZEV fuel pricing. The report, submitted to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), identified these specific priority action areas and others relating to state regulations and ZEV procurement, as requested by the governor in a June executive order. Chief among the CARB report's priorities was ensuring that private investment continues to support the ZEV market. To do so, the agency recommended sustaining California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, a program designed to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels, decrease petroleum dependency and achieve air quality gains. As far as government incentives are concerned, CARB suggested that the governor and the legislature consider backfilling federal clean vehicle tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of September. Those credits could take the form of point-of-sale rebates or vouchers and could be scaled to match state policy goals, per the report. The agency also proposed creating an education pipeline for high-paying jobs in the clean transportation industry, as well as investigating opportunities to reinstate high-occupancy vehicle lane access for ZEVs. Regarding infrastructure, CARB identified a need for collaborative buildouts of charging and refueling infrastructure. As for the price of fuels, the agency suggested implementing an electric bill crediting system for EV charging, while support Western grid regionalization and leveraging private investments to bring down the cost of hydrogen. In the regulations area, the agency recommended advancing ZEV consumer assurance measures and working with local air districts on reducing 'indirect sources' of pollution, such as warehouses or railyards. The final priority, procurement, would benefit from the purchase of ZEVs for state fleets and support for doing so in local governments, according to the report. The recommendations, Randolph said, serve to steer near-term actions and 'ensure the state stays on track to meet its air quality and climate goals.' Newsom's June executive order — which mandated the CARB report — occurred after President Trump signed three congressional resolutions revoking California's previously approved emissions rules. That approval had come from the Biden administration, which granted California a waiver to set stricter-than-federal rules via the 1970 Clean Air Act. One such rule was the Advanced Clean Cars II standard, which sought to require that all cars sold in California would be zero-emissions by 2035. A second was the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, requiring 7.5 percent of heavy-duty vehicles to be emissions-free by 2035. A third, the Omnibus Regulation, focused on slashing nitrogen oxide releases. Just last week — in an about-face on compliance with the Golden State's standards — four major truck manufacturers sued California regulators over the latter two rules. Soon after, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that a voluntary ' Clean Truck Partnership ' between the companies and the state was 'unenforceable.' Then, Friday, the Department of Justice declared its intent to sue California about the same partnership, in a bid to 'advance President Donald J. Trump's commitment to end the electric vehicle (EV) mandate.' Later that day, CARB only said that it would not comment on pending litigation. On Tuesday, however, Randolph said that regardless of federal government's waiver revocation, California is continuing 'to fight hard for the emissions reductions that can easily be achieved in the heavy-duty sector and are already being achieved.' Referring specifically to the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation, she noted that 'the actual adoption is way ahead of the compliance obligation in that regulation.' 'The market is there, and the market is moving,' she said. Randolph also told reporters that CARB is already working on updating Advanced Clean Cars, with the idea that rulemaking processes can take two to four years. By starting now, she explained, the rule might 'be ready, ideally, for a more receptive U.S. EPA.' Slamming the current federal administration for 'choosing to quit the race,' she stressed that 'California is still in.' 'The world is accelerating forward toward cleaner vehicle technologies and is going to watch the U.S. fade into the rearview mirror,' Randolph added.
