WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monday, February 24, 2025, marks three years since Russia invaded Ukraine. Many Ukrainians have been killed trying to defend their country. On the weekend before the anniversary, some Ukrainians held a rally along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Some Ukrainians we spoke to are doubtful the war will end on good negotiating terms for Ukraine.
“We must be brave and we must support our country and citizens,” said Iryna, who is from Ukraine and at the DC rally.
“We gotta stand up and do what’s right,” said Adrian, who has family in Ukraine. “How can we sit and do nothing when we see a peaceful people get overrun by a terrorist and do nothing? We gotta do something we gotta help.”
Roksolana, who is from Ukraine but has lived in the US for more than a decade, said her parents fled their home during the war.
“I think its very emotional for them and I think they wish they weren’t here and they could have a normal perfect peaceful life back home,” said Roksolana.
Roksolana said the war has caused three years of devastation and destruction. She reflects on her time visiting family during the war and remembers air sirens notifying people of a missile attack.
“It doesn’t matter how far you are from the front line, you can feel the war and siren,” said Roksolana. “It doesn’t matter where you live in Ukraine.”
President Donald Trump is determined to end the war on his watch but has shut out Ukraine from the negotiating table. Many Ukrainians at the rally were upset that their country is not part of those negotiations and are concerned that the US and Russia will come to an agreement where Russia will end the war, but only if Ukraine annexes some of it’s land.
“Those who ignore history are bound to repeat itself and we already saw this with Hitler where people stood by and did nothing and he just kept taking and taking and taking and basically drug the whole world into a war,” said Andrew, who was supporting Ukraine at the rally. “And Trump- I mean Putin- Trump/Putin same thing, he’s basically depending on apathy to enable him to take more and more lands over so i think he’s shocked how much Ukraine has stood up to their aggression.”
“It’s been three years right and so many people have died,” said Roksolana. “So many families have been broken and we just can’t give up and stopping the war at the cost of Ukraine. It’s not fair and it’s not democracy. I hope this war will stop soon and not with the cost that Ukraine gives them land.”
