New York’s large Ukrainian community has expressed feelings of disillusionment, betrayal, defiance, and significant uncertainty regarding the future of Ukraine following recent escalations in tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Geopolitical events of the last week have shocked both Ukrainians at home and abroad, as well as U.S. lawmakers and allies, with Trump appearing to heavily favor Russian President Vladimir Putin in dictating peace terms on the eve of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Trump vigorously criticized Zelenskyy, labeling him a “dictator” and falsely claiming that Ukraine started the war. In response, Zelenskyy expressed extreme frustration at being excluded from negotiations between the U.S. and Russia, accusing Trump of being in a “Kremlin disinformation bubble.” U.S. aides reportedly advised Zelenskyy to “tone down” his remarks.
As the anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the unprecedented escalation of tensions between Kyiv and Washington, alongside Trump’s upending of decades of U.S. foreign policy by leaning away from Europe and towards Russia, has raised concerns regarding future American support for Ukraine.
New York City is home to the largest Ukrainian community in the U.S., with approximately 150,000 Ukrainian New Yorkers. The Ukrainian community has been deeply affected by the war, which has resulted in tens of thousands of lives lost and millions of refugees fleeing Ukraine in its early stages.
Veselka, a decades-old family-owned Ukrainian restaurant established in Manhattan’s East Village, known for being “Little Ukraine,” has become a beacon of solidarity during the war. On February 20, 2025, owner Jason Birchard expressed shock at the reversal in U.S. support for Ukraine, emphasizing the importance of knowing the truth and thet it is unfortunate that Trump has propagated lies.
People dined at Veselka, with some staff, many of whom are Ukrainian, hoping for fair terms in any potential ceasefire or peace deal negotiated and for Ukraine to be included at the negotiating table. Birchard believes that this should not be considered a war against Ukraine, but a war against democracy, and stated that Ukrainians “are very resilient and strong.”
Angela Kravtchenko, a Ukrainian American Democratic party district leader in Brooklyn, said that Ukrainian American residents are feeling angry and helpless after this week’s events. Trump’s comments about Ukraine and Zelenskyy are viewed as “betrayal” and “legitimizing Putin and sitting with a war criminal.”
Oleksandr Taran, president of the New York-based organization Svitanok NYC, which advocates for Ukraine’s sovereignty and combats disinformation, described Trump’s comments and the increasing tensions as “very concerning.” He moved to New York from Kyiv eight years ago and emphasized the importance for the new leadership and for President Trump to do a proper assessment of the situation and set the facts straight.
The outcome of the war has implications for the global world order, according to Taran, as the fight is for democratic ideals that have to be upheld in the world. He continued to support Zelenskyy, emphasizing that he is a democratically elected leader of the country at war and that “when somebody attacks a Ukrainian from outside, we stand together, and we unite for that Ukrainian.”
Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based non-profit providing humanitarian aid and assistance to Ukraine, recently encouraged people to contact their U.S. representatives to publicly disavow Trump’s comments. CEO Dora Chomiak, born in the U.S. to Ukrainian parents, emphasized that Ukraine is a democracy that has had peaceful transitions of power and that Ukrainians have fought for democracy for generations.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/feb/23/new-york-ukrainian-community-trump-russia
