What Trump doesn’t understand about Ukraine

When Russia illegally annexed Crimea in March 2014, my grandfather was so deeply affected that his heart stopped beating, and he died. After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, I sat with my husband in a Philadelphia-area Panera crying, my own heart breaking.

Though I immigrated in 2015 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021, all my extended family, including my two beloved grandmothers, are still in Ukraine. I knew everyone felt lost and scared after the Russian invasion, but I also knew Ukrainians would unite and fight the invaders. And so they have.

But now, with the White House demonstrating declining support for Ukraine and Europe, I am deeply concerned.

It is disheartening to hear President Donald Trump claim Ukraine started the war when it was Russia that launched the conflict — which actually began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and violated the Budapest Memorandum it had signed in 1994 (with the U.S. and the U.K. as cosignatories). This memorandum prohibited the use of military force to contest Ukraine’s independence or the sovereignty of its borders.

Justifying Russian aggression by claiming Ukraine’s desire to join NATO “provoked” Vladimir Putin is akin to blaming a rape victim for “asking for it” by wearing a short skirt. When Finland and Sweden joined NATO in 2023, Russia did not react to that as a “provocation.” It’s not about NATO, it’s about Russia’s desire to revive the Soviet Union, or at least retain control over all post-Soviet states. Ukraine no longer wishes to be part of that.

The most concerning aspect of U.S. political leadership’s current course, for me, is how it is treating geopolitics as business. Not everything can be bought or sold. Ukrainians have a long history of fighting for freedom, sovereignty, and independence. What price tag can be put on the hundreds of thousands who have fought since the Russian invasion and the nearly 50,000 soldiers who have died for their right to be Ukrainians?

Ukrainians deserve the right to choose their own path, whether the Russian empire (which remains an empire, not a federation, in my view) likes it or not. They will continue to fight, regardless of whether the American president approves. Surrendering to the aggressor will not bring peace.

In my opinion, the derogatory rhetoric from President Trump and his team stems from an inability to view Ukraine as a subject, not an object. It is obvious the American administration would like to replace Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with someone more pliable, someone willing to sign a mineral deal that would transfer Ukraine’s valuable resources for nothing in return. Trump’s demands align with Russian interests.

The worst thing to do now is to stay silent or indifferent — because tomorrow, it might be too late for us all.

The U.S. meeting with a Russian delegation in Saudi Arabia, without Ukrainian or European officials at the table, legitimizes Russia and sends a dangerous signal to other countries that they, too, may occupy countries with impunity. Ukraine maintains a firm principle: no negotiations about the Russo-Ukrainian War should occur without Ukraine’s involvement. Europe must also be included, as the war is on European soil and threatens other democracies, particularly Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland.

Further troubling decisions include pushing Ukraine to withdraw a U.N. resolution condemning Russia, the U.S. considering the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Russia, and the indefinite suspension of Ukrainian immigration applications.

The only positive aspect of the current situation is that it serves as a wake-up call for Europe. The continent must strengthen its security. This is a time of disillusionment and fear, but I hope European countries will take proactive steps to protect themselves.

Since arriving in the U.S., I have been working hard and studying to build a new life with my husband and two daughters. I knew I had to prove myself here, as my Ukrainian education and work experience didn’t carry much weight in the American job market. I worked as an interpreter, translator, and proofreader before transitioning into project management and marketing. But since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I’ve stopped speaking or translating Russian. I don’t watch any Russian programs, and no longer associate with Russian friends in the U.S. who support the war.

My heart keeps breaking amid all the turmoil, but I remain hopeful.

I believe in American democracy and the values of the American people, who are willing to fight for principles. The worst thing to do now is to stay silent or indifferent — because tomorrow, it might be too late for us all.

Olena Hart immigrated from Ukraine in 2015 and became a U.S. citizen in 2021. She works as a content writer for one of the biggest language service providers in the nation and has a blog, Ukrainian in Philly, where she shares her thoughts on immigration, social, cultural, and political topics.