UR’s Ukrainian Students Association (URUSA) hosted a rally March 3 in Hirst Lounge, urging passersby to show their support for Ukraine in any way they could.
This came in response to rising tensions between the US and Ukraine, which reached new heights late February when Vice President JD Vance demanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy respect the new administration, resulting in Zelenskyy exiting the White House promptly after, leaving potential deals on the table.
“I’ve never seen something like that happening in public, especially in foreign relations with not just the U.S. and Ukraine, but anywhere in the world,” said sophomore Arsen Kariazov, president of URUSA.
Formed last semester, the group is focused on building awareness surrounding Ukrainian culture and the war.
The United States has historically provided substantial aid to Ukraine, however the rocky relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy now puts such aid at risk.
Kariazov mentioned the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, where Ukraine exchanged its nuclear arsenal for economic assistance and territorial sovereignty. Because the United States signed that agreement, he said, they should support their ally — especially as Russia has repeatedly violated the memorandum. The United States maintains the memorandum is not legally binding, and represents a political commitment rather than a guarantee or obligation.
Trump suspended all military aid to Ukraine March 3, impacting over $1 billion in arms and ammunition.
“I was just not expecting it to be that open, I guess, how he just disrespectfully blamed the war on Ukraine and Ukrainian people,” Kariazov said. ”Not just President Zelenskyy, but the whole Ukrainian nation for [the] courage to step up for aggression and fight for independence and freedom.”
For Kariazov, who arrived to the United States after the Russo-Ukrainian war began in 2014, motivation for spreading awareness on campus comes from knowing the wartime reality of his family and friends back home.
He stated that though URUSA is a smaller student organization, they are united through a shared experience of the impact the war has had on them and their loved ones. They seek to provide greater information on the reality of the Ukrainian war – whether it be through film screenings, workshops, or demonstrations. Kariazov’s goal is consistency: while it may be a trend to support Ukraine now, URUSA’s efforts won’t end until the war does.
“It’s crucial,” he stated, “for us to get this information out there and keep people informed so they can make rational choices on what to do, maybe support, and maybe show up.”
