Thousands attended a rally on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Feb. 22 to show their support for Ukraine, marking three years since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Organizers led rally-goers in prayer, chants, song, dance, and finally a march to the Russian Ambassador’s residence—all in the hope of bringing D.C. together to support Ukraine.
The Embassy of Ukraine organized the rally in partnership with several Ukrainian organizations, including US Ukrainian Activists, United Help Ukraine, Razom for Ukraine, Ukraine House, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, and People of Ukraine Foundation.
Since Feb. 24, 2022, Russia has taken control of over 20% of Ukrainian territory and has killed at least 12,654 Ukrainian civilians. Over 10 Million Ukrainians remain uprooted, marking the largest displacement crisis in Europe since World War II. Consistent bombings have destroyed civilian infrastructure such as medical centers, schools, residences, and energy grids, disrupting daily life in Ukraine.
For Ukrainians in attendance, the rally served as a reminder of the continued destruction in their country. Olya Senyuk, a rally-goer who moved her family from Ukraine to the U.S. during the war, shared the importance of reminding Americans of the hardships Ukrainians endure.
“Every day, big cities like Kharkiv, Kyiv, Kherson, Dnipro are being attacked by Russia,” Senyuk said. “We have kids who are dead in their bed because there was a missile attack. This is horrible, and the worst part is that the world doesn’t know about this because your TV news doesn’t show this. This is very important for us to show, to remind them that we are fighting for our freedom.”
Photo by Sophia Jacome
One message was clear: this war represents more to Ukranians than maintaining the country’s land.
“It’s not just about territory, but it’s about existing freely as a nation. Russia is an imperialist nation, and their intent is to take over Ukraine, and if possible, go further into Europe to reprise the Soviet Union, the Russian Empire,” Kalyna Boychuk, a New Jersey resident who traveled to the rally with 56 members of the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey, said. “We need to show our support for Ukraine, because they are the front line of democracy and freedom right now in the world.”
The Georgetown Ukrainian Society also brought a group of students to the rally, many of whom are from Ukraine or have family living there. Karyna Stepanovych (SFS ’27) found that the rally was an important way of staying connected with her country.
“This is a community of people who also face the same difficult situation, who understand what war is. Most of the people have families back in Ukraine, so it’s nice to feel connected and feel understood,” Senyuk said. “Even though we are not actually present in Ukraine right now, we can still influence the situation that is going on and contribute to the global agenda.”
Photo by Sophia JacomeWith President Trump’s recent statements pulling back U.S. support for Ukraine, rally-goers feared for the future of U.S. support of Ukrainian sovereignty. On Feb. 24, two days after the rally, the U.S. voted against three UN resolutions that blamed Russia for the start of the war in 2022, voting with Russia and against Ukranian and European allies, such as the United Kingdom and France.
This development comes after Trump excluded Ukraine from peace talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 18. Pushback from President Zelenskyy led to a series of statements by Trump referring to the Ukrainian president as a “dictator” and claiming that Ukraine started the war with Russia.
The claim that Ukraine was the aggressor in the war felt like a personal attack to Senyuk.
“I would like to remind Americans that we were invaded, and right now, we are fighting for our freedom. We are fighting for a right to live in our own country, to speak our own language, to be able to develop our culture, our economy, just as it was three years ago,” Senyuk said. “Ukraine didn’t do anything to Russia. We just lived in our country. I had to leave my home and I’m here with my kids. Please don’t say that we started this. We didn’t start this.”
Photo by Sophia Jacome
Despite President Trump’s statements, many at the rally remained hopeful that the American people would support Ukraine and push for aid for the country.
“I would be happy to see that people, if they see something that does not align with some of the American values that the U.S. have had for a long time, like democracy or the opportunity to have free speech, they continue to align with these values,” Stepanovych said. “Even though the government that is currently in power may not always align with these values, I would like to see the American people continue to support this.”
Boychuk hopes that President Trump’s rhetoric and the rally can act as a wake up call to Americans.
“But here in America, people have to start speaking up, pushing back against lies and pushing back against the demise of all our democratic institutions,” Boychuk said. “We can’t just go along with that rhetoric or be complacent. People have to be more active politically and speak up.”
