Latest news with #UkrainianCongressCommitteeofAmerica
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Will Europe step in if US ends aid to Ukraine?
(NewsNation) — After President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a heated exchange at a White House photo op, the world is reacting and wondering what the path forward will look like. Andrij Dobriansky, with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, joined NewsNation to discuss the incident. Dobriansky said the shouting match came as Ukraine is in a very raw moment after the third anniversary of Russia's invasion. Watch full Trump, Zelenskyy exchange: 'You're gambling with WWIII' 'People are really feeling put upon by the language coming out of the Oval Office and different blogs and podcasters that Ukraine is corrupt, that Ukraine is no good,' he said. Dobriansky said he viewed Zelenskyy's remark to Vice President JD Vance asking if he had been to Ukraine as less confrontational than it may have been perceived and as more of a genuine question as to whether he had seen the impact the war has had on the country. One question that remains is whether Europe will step in if the U.S. pulls back from Ukraine. 'Ukraine is going to keep defending its territory,' Dobriansky said. 'What we know on the table right now is that the United States has not even promised as much as Europe right now, so we'll see who actually starts giving more aid in the coming year.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
24-02-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Ukrainians in New York commemorate three years since Russia's invasion
New York City officials, foreign dignitaries and members of the city's Ukrainian community gathered in New York on Monday to raise the Ukrainian flag above lower Manhattan, marking three years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The anniversary this year follows escalating tensions between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Last week, the US president falsely claimed that Ukraine started the war and labeled Zelenskyy as 'a dictator', while the Ukrainian president expressed frustration over being excluded from US-Russia negotiations to end the war and accused Trump of living in a Kremlin 'disinformation bubble'. Several dozen people, holding Ukrainian flags and dressed in blue and yellow, stood in the crowd at Bowling Green park on Monday morning, and observed a moment of silence in between remarks delivered by representatives and organizers to commemorate the anniversary. 'Today we mark three years of Russian barbaric invasion of Ukraine and unprecedented of a large-scale war that [Vladimir] Putin unleashed on the European continent,' Serhiy Ivanchov, the consulate general of Ukraine in New York, told the crowd. 'Three years of our resistance'. 'Unfortunately, the Russian unprovoked war continues and Ukraine still needs international support more than ever,' Ivanchov said. 'Ukraine needs a reliable and clear system of security guarantees.' New York City is home to the largest Ukrainian community in the United States, with around 150,000 Ukrainian New Yorkers. The city's mayor, Eric Adams, who attended the Ukrainian flag raising last year, did not attend Monday's ceremony, but sent two representatives from the mayor's office of immigrants affairs in his place. Dilip Chauhan, the deputy commissioner for the mayor's office for international affairs, read out a statement sent from Adams in which he said that Ukrainians 'throughout the five boroughs have long enhanced life in our diverse city and they will continue to play a key role as we take bold steps to grow our economy and afford a safer, fairer and more prosperous future'. The mayor proclaimed Monday, 24 February 2025, as Ukrainian Heritage Day, and said in his statement he was 'honored and deeply moved on this anniversary to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukrainian New Yorkers as we raise their flag and say in a single unified voice, united against aggression and 'Slava Ukraine' (glory to Ukraine)'. At the gathering two wounded Ukrainian soldiers were present. As the national anthem of Ukraine was performed and the Ukrainian flag was raised alongside the US flag, many attendees wiped away their tears. 'We have gathered to remember a very solemn day that many of us will never be able to wrench from our hearts, hearts that many of us will never be able to put together,' Andrij Dobriansky, director of communications and media for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America said. Among those in the crowd was Dasha Wilson, who had a Ukrainian flag wrapped around her shoulders. 'I'm very proud of my country that we have withstood for three years,' said Wilson, who moved to New York 10 years ago. 'I'm very appreciative for Americans for helping Ukraine.' Given the recent rising tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy, Wilson said that she hopes that the US and Ukraine will 'remain good partners' and continue to 'work together'. Last week's geopolitical events shocked many Ukrainians at home and abroad as well as US lawmakers and allies. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion This week, members of New York's Ukrainian community told the Guardian that they were feeling a mix of disillusionment, betrayal, defiance and acute uncertainty about what the future holds for Ukraine amid the unprecedented rise in tension between the US and Ukrainian leaders. On Monday, the New York state assemblyman Michael Novakhov – a Republican who represents Brighton Beach, home to one of the world's largest concentrations of immigrants from the former Soviet Union – spoke directly to Trump. 'Mr President, I voted three times for you. I am a Republican, but Mr President, Putin is the dictator, not Zelenskyy. Russia started the war, not Ukraine,' he told the crowd. Another speaker, Oleksandr Taran – president of Svitanok NYC, a New York-based organization that advocates for Ukraine's sovereignty and combats disinformation – recalled his memories of the day that Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago. 'The evening of February 23 I was going about my usual chores when I glanced at the television,' said Taran, who moved to New York eight years ago. 'Suddenly, the breaking news banner appeared, explosions in Kyiv, my hometown, my heart stopped. Ukraine was under attack.' 'And so it began,' he continued, 'the war that upended millions of lives in a matter of hours, Friday morning, and the war that we as Ukrainian Americans have been fighting in our own way ever since'. He added: 'The world soon learned, this war would not be over in days or weeks, and it would demand relentless courage from the Ukrainians and support from our allies worldwide. 'If this tragedy has shown us anything, it is the immeasurable strength and unity of our people in crisis; our identity becomes an anchor.' Julius Constantine Motal contributed reporting
Axios
24-02-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Chicago Ukrainians call for truth and support
Illinois Ukrainians are outraged by recent actions and comments by President Trump on the Ukraine-Russia war and are calling for continued U.S. support. The big picture: With more than 100,000 Ukrainian-Americans in the metropolitan area, Chicago hosts one of the largest communities in the nation. State of play: This week, U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and preparing for a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. But, so far, Ukraine has been left out of the talks. Driving the news: Ukrainian-Americans and their allies will gather at the Wrigley Building at 4pm Saturday and march to the Water Tower to commemorate the third anniversary of Russia's invasion. The march is organized by the nonpartisan Illinois division of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA). Specific UCCA Illinois demands include: Requiring that Ukraine be an "active participant" in the negotiations. Negotiating a peace that is "fair, just and reliable," leaving Ukraine with "security and sovereignty" as well as "economic and diplomatic support." Accountability for Russian war crimes and a commitment to NATO membership for Ukraine. What they're saying: This week, Trump falsely claimed Ukraine started the war against Russia and said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is "a dictator without elections" with approval ratings of 4%. The other side: " Ukraine did not start the war, support for Zelensky is over 50%, and Zelensky was democratically elected," UCCA Illinois president Mariya Dmytriv-Kapeniak tells Axios. "The reason Ukraine did not have elections by now is because Russia invaded Ukraine, and we have a martial law, and it is consistent with Ukraine's constitution during martial law not to have elections." Zoom in: Dmytriv-Kapeniak notes that the Ukrainian community is also concerned about the fate of more than 30,000 refugees who arrived in Chicago under a Biden-era program. "There's a lot of anxiety that the program will be terminated because [the refugees] cannot return back home. Their houses are destroyed and there's still bombing going on in Ukraine every day," she says. During a recent local Ukrainian unity meeting, Dmytriv-Kapeniak asked attendees to stand up if they knew someone who was killed or injured in the war or was on the front lines and, she says, "90% of them stood up." She is encouraging Chicagoans who have an opinion on the issue to reach out to their elected officials, especially Republicans. The intrigue: Ukraine may still have some leverage with the U.S. because it contains 5% of the world's rare earth minerals necessary for making equipment including capacitors in electronic devices and the brakes on jet aircraft.
Chicago Tribune
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Three years after Russian invasion of Ukraine, hundreds rally for continued U.S. support
Zoryana Smozhanyk has lived in the United States for about 17 years, calling herself a proud 'Ukrainian American.' But three years after Russia invaded Ukraine, she told hundreds gathered at a rally Saturday that the Ukrainian portion of her identity is possible because of those fighting for freedom overseas. '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.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Effort to help Ukrainians displaced by war continues today in Chamblee
There is an effort this weekend to assist Ukrainian citizens who've been displaced by the war with Russia. Many of them are living in the southeast but were in metro Atlanta on Saturday to get essential help. Those efforts continue today. Chamblee City Hall is far away from home for the dozens who showed up there this weekend. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'So these are people who lost their homes, who lost their places in Ukraine or simply don't want to keep their children under constant missile strikes,' Tetiana Lemdiel with the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America said. After the war with Russia started in 2022, many Ukrainians relocated to Georgia. They're here temporarily under humanitarian programs. Saturday they found help from the Embassy of Ukraine from Washington D.C. who brought their services to Chamblee City Hall. It's a trip that could be hard to make. 'Because the trip first of all is expensive and you need to find time to make it,' Lemdiel said. 'Many people who have arrived, some of them have their passports nearing their expiration dates.' Others need to register their children. It's not just those living in Georgia but Ukrainians from all over the southeastern United States. 'We actually had one family early in the morning that drove from Sarasota Florida,' Lemdiel said. 'Ukrainian people who are displaced by war currently in the United States, are forever grateful to Americans, to the American nation for opening their doors to our people, to bring in people in here, and given this opportunity to have their children in peace.' The event continues today at Chamblee City Hall from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. TRENDING STORIES: Man wanted for child sex crimes in metro Atlanta killed in shootout with Florida deputies GA hospital CEO with 'personality bigger than life' dies unexpectedly Georgia education officials say these schools need academic support [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
