Ukrainians and friends of Ukraine worldwide rallied to reinforce their support for the embattled country in reaction to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Feb. 28 visit to the White House where he met with U.S. President Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance.
A bilateral agreement to extract natural resources was supposed to be outlined in exchange for security guarantees, but instead, turned into a heated exchange of words and unwarranted accusations against Ukraine’s second war-time president.
Zelenskyy ended up not holding a scheduled joint news conference with Trump and his delegation was told to leave without having a traditional lunch after the public spat, according to the White House press pool.
Subsequent protests took place across the U.S., the U.K., Europe, and South Africa, with rally goers calling for stronger support for Kyiv while condemning the actions of how Zelenskyy was treated.
As of March 3, around 20 demonstrations had been held, and more are still planned.
New York’s Time Square was the setting of a large-scale demonstration.
A march was held as part of an event organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America in Atlanta, Georgia.
“We are ashamed of the way your country and your President were treated in the Oval Office on Friday [Feb. 28]. We thank you for fighting for freedom for all of us in this country and Europe,” wrote American participant Tricia Tholen Gephardt.
Beyond Atlanta and New York, Ukraine’s national blue and yellow flags waved at demonstrations across the U.S., including in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Boston. Read more: Report from the event in Chicago.
Protesters in London called for an end to Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine.
The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organizations (AFUO) responded with an urgent statement:
“The Australian-Ukrainian community is proud of President Zelenskyy for standing up for his country and people. His war-time leadership has been principled, stoic and unwavering, reflecting the determination of Ukrainians to defend their sovereignty and democracy.”
“What we witnessed live from Washington two days ago was deeply troubling – and it remains so – because we saw our most important ally betray not only Ukraine but the entire Western world, the world we have come to trust,” said Oles Horodetskyy, leader of the Christian Association of Ukrainians in Italy, at a demonstration in Rome on March 2.
Horodetskyy expressed hope that Ukraine’s partnership with the U.S. is far from over and that European leaders will play a key role in restoring relations between the two nations.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians in the Spanish coastal city of Valencia released a video message urging unity.
The dispute in the Oval Office in front of cameras and journalists occurred when Trump accused Zelenskyy of being unthankful for U.S. assistance and refusing to negotiate, claiming that he “doesn’t have the cards” to make a deal.
A fact check conducted by news broadcaster CNN said that Zelenskyy had publicly thanked the U.S. and the American people “33 times” prior to his White House visit.
The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) and the global Ukrainian community firmly stand behind Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine as they continue their courageous defense against Russia’s unprovoked aggression.
The UWC also expressed gratitude to those who quickly showed their support – such demonstrations send a powerful message to the world: Ukraine is strong and has a vast network of support. Let’s keep acting!
Cover: open sources
