Sacrifice in Ukraine befoe the hope of Easter peace.
Young and old carry on.
New Life
Soldier holding out in Mariupol steel plant
Ukraine’s National Cemetary
Easter morning.
Two Messages About Peace in Ukraine
This past week I have witnessed four grassroots fund raising for the Ukrainian people in my local area.
The first was a meeting (during the GAC conference) for the Polish credit union charity Via Stella. The credit union attendees immediately pledged $50,000. St. Andrews Ukrainian Orthodox asked for $2,000 to buy 100 tourniquents for civilian wounded in air strikes. St. John’s Norwood identified six projects totalling $12,000. The Kiev Independent requested donations to distribute their film documentary on war medics to six European capital cities.
The American public, despite Trump’s rhetoric and actions, know whose side they are on.
The French Lesson
The poet Robert Burns wrote this famous plea, “O wad some Power the giftie gie us, to see oursels as ithers see us!“
Here is how a French Senator sees the American government’s actions versus Ukraine and Europe this past two weeks. On March 5, in French, with English subtitles:
https://x.com/JaneMayerNYer/status/1897648340256412022
America’s Prior Reputation Before Trump’s Pivot to Russia
The one message Putin fears the most from America. It may be old-fashioned, but clear, simple and effective.
Credit Unions Support Ukraine
Yesterday I attended a briefing on the work of Via Stella, a Polish charity supported by the World Council of Credit Unions.
The meeting was held at Ukraine House in Washington, DC. Over 50 credit union people attended, including CEOs from the Polish and Ukrainian Self-Reliance credit union communities and multiple other credit union organizations and individuals.
The Foundation supports the millions of Ukrainian refugees in Poland with a three part “Pathway to Safety” program. These steps include the safe evacuation from the country especially for women, children and the elderly; finding housing, education and jobs; and providing financial support via the Polish credit union system. All funds go directly for these efforts; there is no overhead.
In an ad hoc, spontaneous fund raising moment, over $50,000 more was pledged in less than five minutes. The effort was initiated by credit union software entrepreneur Jay Mossman who pledged $25,000. He urged attendees to match his initiative. It was done quickly by the CEOs, directors and the board members of Via Stella.
There was no dwelling on the recent White House confrontation. There is no ambivalence about the circumstances of this war. The purpose was solely to demonstrate the American people’s support for Ukraine. This they did.
Their view, and the majority of Americans’ understanding of events, is shown in this front page New York Post headline.
This effort speaks louder than words. For all that is said during the Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) underway now, in the end what is done is what matters.
Character and Leadership in a Crisis
All organizations and most individuals will at some point in their journey encounter a crisis. These could be threats to their livelihood or maybe existence.
It is important to remember that crises do not form character; they reveal it.
Yesterday the NCUA board met in public during grave uncertainty about the agency’s future. The board members’ response in this time of uncertainty will be for another time.
Today the President of Ukraine meets with President Trump. Zelensky has been leading his country in a war that has entered the fourth year.
This post is about the character of the people who elected him President during this battle for their freedom. And an example of American supporters.
Three Ukrainians
I want to introduce you to three Ukrainians. Here are the first two, an obstetrician and his nurse attendant in their “office” near Kiev.
They literally have their hands full with their work-in this case, twins. And an exhausted mother.
Their children’s hospital was hit by a Russian missile and destroyed last fall. So in November 2024, a group from St. John’s Episcopal Church , Chevy Chase, MD, held a fundraising dinner with St. Andrew’s Orthodox, a local Ukrainian church.
They hoped to raise funds the doctor needed to purchase a new neonatal unit for their rebuilt hospital clinic. That evening, the group of Americans contributed the entire amount. The funds were sent to Ukraine immediately. A new neonatal unit was purchased and put into use within 60 days of the dinner.
Here is the third Ukrainian I want you to meet. This photo of a current occupant of this new unit came yesterday. Ukraine’s next generation.
Amercans and Ukrainians are together working to build a better future for this new generation.
Zelensky and Trump
As context for this Presidential discussion about continuing America’s support for Ukraine, I believe two recent articles provide insight into the character of the Ukrainian people. The first is the initial two paragraphs from a longer analysis called:
Ukraine’s deep history of peacekeeping in other wars
Even in the most difficult times, Ukraine has demonstrated a willingness to help others by participating in peacekeeping missions worldwide. However, the world has delayed decisive help now that Ukraine is the one that needs peacekeeping. It is a question of justice: can countries who contribute to peacekeeping count on reciprocity when they are threatened?
Before the full-scale invasion, Ukraine was known for its peacekeeping efforts. It participated in 36 military operations, becoming the ninth largest contributing country of military personnel to UN peacekeeping missions. (click the above link for the the full article which describes these UN missions)
A Rapid Response When U.S. AID Ended
A digital-only English language news site was started in late 2021 by young Ukrainian journalist entrepreneurs, called The Kiev Independent. It is a subscription only model, publishes dozens of stories daily and relies entirely on online “member” subscriptions.
When the February 2022 Russian invasion began, it focused on daily war coverage for readers outside Ukraine.
When the January U.S. AID cutoff threatened other local Ukrainian language news outlets, the Independent asked its readers to send funds to support these smaller news sources. Here is the report about this effort of less than a week:
Feb 8, 2025 from Editor-in-Chief, Olga Rudenko
Even more good news. Last week, we launched a fundraising campaign to help out three Ukrainian newsrooms in the cities close to the front lines. They were all hit by the freeze of U.S. foreign aid and we wanted to offset some of the damage.
We aimed to raise $50,000 and ended up raising $66,000 in just three days. Over 700 people contributed — a huge thank you for that! We are now in the process of transferring the funds to the newsrooms. Each will get about $23,000, which will cover their expenses for the next couple of months. They are shocked and grateful.
These are brief but I believe representative examples of the character of the country which elected Zelensky President.
The public reports of their meeting will display two examples of leadership. One whose character and that of its people is under daily wartime attack. And one who uses threats as a standard political tactic.
The character example I prefer is that of the US-Ukrainian group that helped restore the neonatal unit of a children’s hospital near Kiev.
The World’s Solidarity with Ukraine-A Time of Moral Clarity
Note: Because of embedded video links and pictures, this post is best read in the browser format)
Three years ago today Russia invaded the independent country of Ukraine.
The attack’s intent and the expectation of many outsiders was that the country would be subjugated in a matter of days, or at most, weeks.
Three years later, Ukraine has shown the incredible resilience of people willing to sacrifice for their country’s freedom.
The fog of war, time, elections and competing events have clouded the perceptions of some about the largest conflict on the European continent since WW II..
In this current moment of uncertainty about the war’s end, we must state the obvious: Ukraine has won. They have fought the second largest army in the world to a standstill. Their nation’s courage has earned them the respect of freedom loving people the world over.
Their determination against overwhelming odds inspires all persons yearning for freedom the will to prevail. Most importantly, Ukraine’s fight is protecting all other democracies in Europe from Russian imperialism.
Putin’s quarter century dictatorial reign is at great risk. Russia is desperate for a ceasefire. Its central bank rate is 21% and its inflation 9%. Between 900,000 and a million troops have been killed and wounded. An estimated 25 to 30 of its oil refineries have been hit and disabled. Economic change is frozen by sanctions.
And Ukraine’s democratically engaged population has shown the Russian people the need to rediscover their humanity and self-determination. The example of the Ukrainian people’s revolution is why Putin began this conflict.
Following are scenes from three years of total war showing clearly what the world understood then, and is still the reality today.
Taking a Stand: “I Am Here”
Zelensky’s words days after Russia’s direct attack on Kiev: I am here. I don’t need a ride; I need ammunition.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3cU9d9ciY4)
Moral Clarity Across the Nation
Om February 28, 2022, New York’s Metropolitan Opera opened its performance by singing Ukraine’s National Anthem. The sole person without music, hand on heart, is a Ukrainian. One of hundreds of spontaneous presentations showing the American public’s support.
(https://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/us-world-show-solidarity-ukraine-83215195)
The Sacrifices
A soldier and his wife await their first child.
Citizen Soldiers
A civilian engineer builds drones for the front line.
A Shared National Anthem
Opening day at Wrigley Field, Chicago 2022.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59k-qONWAlc)
Generations Honor Each Other
Soldiers on recuperation receive sunflowers.
The National Cemetery
A Stamp Honoring Defender’s Defiance on Snake Island
An Underground School in the Kiev Metro
Overnight Destruction
A Wartime Playground
In the first days, civilians practice with wooden guns, until the real ones are available.
Citizens create a roadblock on a road that leads to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, in Enerhodar, Ukraine, March 2, 2022.
Sudden Death
A Soldier Holds Out in the Azovstal Steel Plant
The siege of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, Ukraine was a key part of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The plant was a symbol of Ukrainian resistance and the last holdout in Mariupol before the city fell to Russian forces.
Twenty seven funerals
(Photo by Wojciech Grzedzinski/ for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Evacuating a Pregnant Women from a Bombed Hospital
Christmas in Wartime
A Patriot’s Portrait by Noah Regan
Russian Dictators
Civilian Rescues
Ukrainian Flag in the Sanctuary of Chevy Chase Pesbyterian Church, Washington DC 2022
We Support Ukraine Yard Signs in America
Washington National Cathedral Honors Ukraine 2022
Putin’s Reality by TIME
European Countries Boycott Russian Products
Our Flag is Still There
Music Mission Kiev Women’s Chorus Concert in Alexandria, VA (2024)
Bridge gone. Helping civilians to safety.
Treating the wounded: “Talk to Me”
Ukrainian Language school in Bethesda, MD
A country whose people’s spirit will never be broken.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgTI8FPwW0Q)
An Ukrainian Responds to Trump’s Terms for a Ceasefire
One US analyst described Trump’s public support for Russia’s terms for a ceasefire as follows:
Putin gets the domestic glory he craves and lets him save face by winning a war that would’ve likely outlived him.
Plus he gets 19% of Ukraine — over 43,000 square miles (27 million acres), capturing a significant chunk of Ukraine’s railway network, power plants, pipelines, military bases, heavy industry, tons of anthracite coal, vital Black Sea ports on Crimea, and a big fat buffer zone with non-NATO Ukraine.
Following is the response by the editor-in-chief of the Kiev Independent addressing Trump’s about face in America’s support for Ukraine’s freedom.
Her words portray the courage, character and resilience of a nation that will be free. Plus the hope from three years of sacrifice that inspires her fellow citizens today.
On the brink of catastrophe — again: A letter from our chief editor
Hello, dear reader, This is Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent.
In a few days, we will be marking the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
If you read the news, you know that we’re coming to it in a difficult, surreal state. Our key ally, led by Donald Trump’s new administration, is turning against us and is siding with our enemy, Russia. After three years of resistance that cost Ukraine lands and numerous lives, it seems like the invader can prevail after all.
How do I begin to describe what it feels like here, on the ground?
First of all, it feels oddly similar to these very days three years ago. That anxious February of 2022, filled with a buildup to a disaster. We saw it coming closer but didn’t want to believe it would happen — it seemed so insane, impossible to imagine. A military invasion to take over a free country? Impossible. Just as impossible as it is to believe that the leader of the free world will side with the Russian dictator. And yet, it’s happening.
Three years ago, late on the night of Feb. 23, I left the office around 3 a.m. with two other editors. Toma Istomina, the Kyiv Independent’s deputy chief editor, waved at me on her way to her taxi and jokingly said, “Well, I hope we will see each other tomorrow.” In two hours, Russia started its invasion. Toma and I saw each other two months later.
Today I’m writing this message to you at our office in Kyiv. Sitting across from me is Toma, frowned and focused, her curls pushed away by large headphones as she’s editing something urgent. Like three years ago, we are exchanging jokes to lift the mood. She has the driest sense of humor — a perfect fit for the times.
The atmosphere is painfully similar to three years ago: defiance in the anticipation of a catastrophe.
But this time, despite the odds, I feel a bit more confident. Here’s why.
On the second day of the invasion in 2022, when it became clear that the Ukrainian military was fighting tooth and nail against the invaders, I wrote a short and emotional post on Facebook. It read: “No matter what happens next, our defenders have already won for us the feeling of dignity that will stay with us forever. Russians will never dream of having it.”
That’s the first reason that makes me feel stronger and more prepared for what comes next. I know the resilience of the Ukrainian people — the special internal strength that comes with the centuries of defying the odds, of surviving despite the forces that seek to eliminate you. I feel it in myself and in everyone around me — both in native Ukrainians and our allies who are here with us. That strength is something no one can take from us. Not even two of the most powerful leaders in the world working together.
The second reason that makes me more confident in the future than I was three years ago is knowing that we don’t stand alone. Yes, presidents and leaders can try to sell us out, either for personal gains or out of sheer cowardice. But I know that there are many millions of people around the world who stand with Ukraine. They reach out, offer support, write letters. A lot of these letters start with: “I’m so ashamed that my country isn’t doing enough…” or a similar sentiment.
In these three years, Ukraine’s supporters have shown what it means to truly stand up for what’s right. To show up. To fight. To show kindness. This war has made us see the worst side of humanity — but, it has also shown us the best.
So whatever comes next, we have our strength and we have you.
Let’s remember that this isn’t over. Ukraine keeps fighting. Today, when we finally wrap the day and go home, we will hear the air defense working — Russia’s drones have been attacking Kyiv every night this week. We will publish the last stories of the day from our bathrooms, the safest place during an attack. Nothing is stopping here.
The Kyiv Independent’s team is staying on the ground in Ukraine to bring you the truth about what’s happening here — as we have been for three years.
We can do it thanks to you. Our readers’ contributions make up the majority of our funding. Thank you for standing with the Kyiv Independent — your support helps us keep going.
Thank you,
Olga Rudenko
Editor-in-Chief
The Kyiv IndependentFebruary 20, 2025
“The Greatest of These is Love”
Robert Gamble is a presbyterian minister who has led a mission in Ukraine since 2006. His charity, This Child Here, is a 501 C 3 non-profit. Here is What We Do from the website:
We work with families displaced by the war. Thousands of people have fled cities in the east and arrived in Izmail, Ukraine in the west. As many fathers are in the military or still residing in places now dangerous, these families often consist of mothers and children. We provide products from grocery stores, and centres for youth and children’s activities, including sports, music,and art. Through these activities, summer camps, and the supportive community we have built, we offer therapy for the trauma and shock suffered by these families.
Early in the war in 2022 he wrote a long letter reflecting on the seeming contradiction of peacemaking and love in a time of war. An edited version follows.
From a letter by Robert Gamble
Love in a Time of War
A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:8
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
I Corinthians 13:13
It’s hard to say something not already said, but I’ve learned something knew. A hard truth.
In December I rode in a van with a Mennonite minister; we were crossing a field on a dirt and snow covered road lined with bushes and trees on both sides. In the war zone in the east. I saw a few military vehicles. I saw a Ukrainian soldier with a rifle sitting on the snow, covered in white. A tree had been cut to fall across the road ahead of us.
At first I thought we might get out and move it. But then I thought: maybe it is rigged to explode. In the field on both sides were red and white signs: Danger Mines. There was no way around the tree. We backed up about 200 yards and started on another road across the field.
That’s when I realized, this could be the plan. They knew we would go around. . . I remember sitting in the passenger seat to look out the windshield at the dirt and snow ahead in search of signs of digging to place a mine.
For the first time, I was afraid. Confronted with the TRUTH: YOU MIGHT DIE, all thoughts of peacemaking, or reconciliation between Russians and Ukrainians dissolved.
Here are some truths, spoken by people in Ukraine:
“Ordinary people, as always, suffer while politicians play games.”
“This genocide will be in history, but we do not need such a history, we need peace.”
“Today, on the eighth day of the war, I felt as if I were living in another life. The first shock has passed, there remains a persistent belief that we must be patient, and all this will pass. That everything will end well. …. Moreover, almost everyone has become close – having united in one family, they are trying together to help for the sake of victory. Children, little home front warriors, draw touching pictures calling for peace, women cut fabric into strips and weave camouflage nets, men ensure the life of the city and prepare Molotov cocktails. And all together help the weak and lonely. There has never been such a unifying, inspiring feeling…”
Lies in War
I don’t know what is true in this war. . .
In Ukraine, there are two LIES.
- Ukraine is run by Nazis
- Russia must be protected from invasion by Ukraine and NATO.
The truth is Putin is the Nazi, and Putin is invading Ukraine.
He projects his own darkness onto the country of Ukraine.
Many in Russia believe these lies. I’ve seen it… written on the walls of buildings burned “Death to Nazis”….. written by pro-russian separatists, living in Ukraine, believing that Ukraine is run by Nazis.
Media outlets in Russia Facebook, Instagram, other social media are closed. How long can he keep the truth outside Russia? 15,000 were arrested for demonstrations.
How can they keep this lie alive? They keep it alive with fear.
Fooled by Lies
I was fooled by these lies.
I did not believe this war would happen. I knew he was lying and I thought it was all posturing to negotiate. What I didn’t realize was that Putin knew that I knew he was lying. And I would believe it was all posturing for negotiation. All this was like smoke covering the truth that was truly unbelievable: all along, he intended to invade.
The war began at 4am on Thursday, Feb 24th.
I was in a small city in the western and southernmost part of Ukraine. Izmail sits on the Danube; across the river is Romania. It’s a safe place to be, far from the paths of any Russian troops.
On Friday, the second day of the war, I saw a video of a Russian Submarine, cutting through the Black Sea, close to the coast of Odessa, likely in preparation for a landing of soldiers by sea. I watched videos of Russian soldiers, gunfire on the streets, a Russian tank crushing an automobile, a tiny island laid waste by a Russian warship– all 13 Ukrainian guardsmen dead. I saw crowds fleeing Kiev and citizens lining up to receive automatic weapons to defend Ukraine.
In the afternoon, my brother-in-law called, a colonel in the US Army, retired. We talked for the third time. He explained how wars steadily expand in the beginning, urging me to get out of Ukraine.
I decided it was time to leave.
I took a taxi to the border and a ferry to Romania. Volunteers from Romania met me on the other side. They offered us food and drinks. A man came and we drove an hour to his city; he took me to his home where his wife prepared dinner. Later, he put me on the train to Bucharest. “Tell the rest of the world how the good people of Romania took care of you”
I have been working for peace in the world since the 1980’s. I was in Nicaragua during that war, trying to build bridges for peace…. I’ve been working for peace in Ukraine since the war started in 2014.
This Child Here has trained many teens in peacemaking techniques: how to manage conflict, how to listen to your enemy, how to offer alternatives to violence, how to reach consensus. My hope is for a camp for Russian and Ukrainian youth together. My hope is that nations will “beat their swords in plowshares and spears into pruning hooks.”
Evil In the World
But a time comes, rarely comes, when humans, people of faith, the people of God, and I speak as a Christian, must take up weapons to protect and save their own lives and the lives of those they love.
There is evil in the world, and at times this evil has to be stopped. The only hope lies in picking up the very same guns you hoped would go away.
I could have gotten in line for an AK 47. But do I pick up a weapon and kill? I think I am now too old and sensitive to do this… I don’t want those images in my mind.
Do I recruit Americans to go and fight? Do I pray for Russians to die.
Do I believe God is with us? Do I bless war itself?
At best, I can pray and hope it will end.
This Is Love
Now I want to say something personal, because what is most personal is also most universal.
I said goodbye to someone I love and care about before I stepped on the barge to cross to Romania. I said goodbye across a fence. I did not feel sympathy; I felt respect.
I fear for her life, not because she is weak but because she is brave.. This is love.
And then I realized this is how I feel for the Ukrainian people, not sympathy but respect. I fear for their lives, not because they are weak, but because they are brave. This is love.
I think about love and war. I am talking about romantic love, love for family, friends, colleagues, a country even. But it came to me, when I was looking at someone I love…. just looking at this person. I understood: love makes war bearable.
Milan Kundera who is Czech wrote about that country’s 1968 invasion in the Unbearable Lighteness of Being: “For there is nothing heavier than compassion. . .The heaviest of burdens crushes us, we sink beneath it, it pins us to the ground…. The heaviest of burdens is therefore simultaneously an image of life’s most intense fulfillment. The heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to the earth, the more real and truthful they become.
Love helps us bear the burden of war. And there is a second truth: War makes love precious.
I close with this: we say what we believe in that ancient creed, “He was crucified, dead and buried.” For Christ it was the heaviest of burdens, and was followed by the resurrection—the image of life’s most intense fulfillment.
For the people of Ukraine, and for any of us, the heavier the burden, the closer we are to the earth, the more real and true we become. It is a hard truth, and it is why “the greatest of these is love.”
Editor’s note: Rev. Gamble returned almost immediately to Ukraine and continues his work there today. In 2024 he married the woman who is the local administrator of his charity.
How US Aid Suspension Affects Ukraine
Far beyond the credit union world of CDFI and other grant suspensions, the US halt in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine affects multiple organizations essential for a free democracy.
This is at a time of total war in the country. The event underscores the importance of private organizations and individual support when government assistance is uncertain.
From the Counteroffensive analysis: Among those affected by the Trump-Rubio freeze on foreign aid are those serving civil society and the media.
Civil Society
- Veteran Hub: “Veteran Hub in the city of Vinnytsia [that helps vets find] work, psychological support or legal advice for their postcombat lives… forced to tell 31 employees that they were no longer getting paid.”
- Vilnyi Vybir (Free Choice): “We are putting one of our projects on indefinite hold. The project helped to ensure the right of Ukrainian veterans, their families, and families of Ukraine’s defenders to access quality psychological support services.”
- Dostupno UA, which focuses on accessibility in Ukraine: “We have to stop developing strategic documents for five communities. We are also stopping architectural accessibility audits and consultations on implementing changes in communities. Training sessions for Ukrzaliznytsia [railway operator] on correct interaction and assistance to people with disabilities are on hold. We cannot continue to provide recommendations for improving accessibility at railway stations.”
- School for Policy Analysis NaUKMA is a think tank focused on Ukraine’s role in the world, and for the reintegration of Ukraine’s occupied territories. “Yesterday, we received a letter stating that all activities related to projects funded by USAID must be put on hold. Even those activities where payments have already been made… We have to search, transfer, and reallocate funds from other sources to ensure that we can guarantee our employees some form of salary… This uncertainty is the main issue. There are no guarantees that in a month or even in three months, everything will return to how it was.”
Organizations that have previously received U.S. funding but have not commented on the funding freeze:
- Rehab4U created a rehabilitation system to provide Ukrainians with access to quality care and support services directly in their communities.
- Hoverla program assists Ukraine in creating a sound legal framework for local self-government that will ensure a clear division of powers and responsibilities between local authorities and central government.
- Healthlink launched in 2017, focused on accelerating the process of overcoming the HIV epidemic in Ukraine through quick and safe testing for HIV, and the start of treatment.
- National Democratic Institute has been supporting Ukraine’s democratic development since the first days of its independence.
- Safe, Affordable, Effective Medicines for Ukrainians aims to support Ukraine in reforming the healthcare system and ensuring widespread access to affordable and quality medicines.
Ukrainian Media Affected
Members of the Ukrainian press — which differentiates itself from Russia’s by being free to write about the war, investigate matters of public interest, and challenge governmental authorities — are devastated by the development.
“This has affected the entire market, because even those who did not have [U.S.-funded] programs will now face more competition in the market,” said Victor Pichuhin, development director at Nakypilo, a Kharkiv-based media outlet.
Another news organization, which operates just 60 km from the border with Russia, had a grant for writing about reconstruction halted.
“Our website received a dreaded letter about the suspension of funding. The grant wasn’t large — 48,000 UAH ($1,130 USD) — but we were counting on it. It’s very disappointing, but I plan to continue working within this project,” Viktoriia Horshkova, editor of the ShostkaNews.City told The Counteroffensive. She would have spent the funds on salaries: “It’s just about keeping people in the profession.”
Here are some other news outlets affected:
- BIHUS.INFO, an investigative journalism organization and a Counteroffensive partner: “I plan to streamline our activities, cut all non-critical expenses, and hold out as long as possible without layoffs. I have had and continue to have the support of the public here,” founder Denys Bihus told The Counteroffensive, pointing out that many of their investigative projects were not USAID funded. “There will be changes, it will be more challenging. But globally we will not stop working ‘tomorrow.’” Their Patreon is here.
- Hromadske: “Some of the projects we implement thanks to grants are temporarily suspended.”
- Ukrainer: “[R]ecently all American humanitarian foreign aid to Ukraine has stopped, and Ukrainer’s major documentary projects were 80 percent dependent on this funding,” the organization stated.
- Communication Analysis Team ‘CAT-UA, which combats Russian disinformation: “Now that USAID funding has ended, we are looking for new opportunities for cooperation, including with European partners or NATO. They might be interested in picking up the baton in the United States, especially as it relates to their information security,” said analyst Yevhen Luzan.
- Cukr, which covers the Ukrainian city of Sumy:“Essentially, this suspension has now deprived us of 60% of the funding that was planned for this year… As of today, the situation is undoubtedly critical for us,” said CEO Dmytro Tischenko. “Overall, we remain optimistic. However, we have had to temporarily pause some projects.”
Heroes Fighting Fires in Los Angeles
From Nav Khanna, President/CEO First City Credit Union
This is the picture of a hero!
It was taken on Jan. 8 and he helped save our Altadena Corporate Headquarters from burning down. Amidst the chaos and destruction, I have witnessed so much good, selflessness, kindness and bravery by first responders, my colleagues / peers and countless community heros.
I will be forever grateful to these people. I do not know the name of the hero in this picture but I would love to thank him and give him a big hug! My heart goes out to all those who have suffered and are hurting. Stay strong and we will recover together.
Help Offered by another President
This past weekend (January 12) in his evening address, the President of Ukraine stated that 150 trained Ukrainian firefighters would be assisting their American colleagues.
This is a video of his speech:
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkoMduCsXaY)
This is how CBS news reported the story with the headline Zelenskyy offers firefighting help from Ukraine for Los Angeles.
Heroism in the face of danger is a universal human character.
A Story That Must Be Told
This is a post from the Ukrainian based blog, The Counteroffensive published yesterday. In simple, clear words and pictues, it tells of heroism and of sacrifice-the ultimate price of freedom-for Ukraine and every country that believes in government by the people.
He was killed in combat, while she was pregnant
In a few weeks, Andrii Kuzmenko was supposed to hold his newborn daughter in his arms, but this will never happen. Like tens of thousands of other soldiers, he was killed by Russia.
He was killed in the Donetsk region on January 4. He was 33 years old.
Two Journalist Volunteers
Andrii was a journalist for the Ukrainian media outlet Novynarnya. But when the full-scale war began, he voluntarily joined the armed forces. He became an officer and a scout in the 2nd Marine Battalion.
Andrii is survived by his wife, also a Ukrainian journalist – the volunteer and author Anastasiia Fedchenko, who is nine months pregnant.
Anastasiia Fedchenko holds her head in her hands, crying for the now-lost future they had dreamed of together. The pregnant wife kneels in front of the coffin of her husband who died in the war.
Watching the young wife grieve at his funeral last week, knowing he would never meet their unborn child, was one of the hardest things I have seen in this war so far.
Just last month, the happy couple did a photoshoot together, proudly holding Anastasiia’s bump, and staring into each other’s eyes. She posted this photo on her Facebook page on December 31, 2024, captioning it: “My main result of the year is love!”
Just several days later he would be dead during a combat mission.
At Andrii’s funeral, there are many people around, all carrying flowers, fresh, without plastic wrapping, as his wife had requested.
Most of them are holding roses, which is very unusual for a farewell; in Ukraine, since the Soviet Union, it has been a tradition to bring carnations to a funeral.
A motorcade of cars arrives at the cathedral. Among them is a white Sprinter van.
When it stops, its doors are opened by a dozen soldiers. Inside, there are wreaths of flowers, and the coffin with Andrii’s body is behind them.
There is silence. No one dares to say a word, only the sound of clothes rustling and soldiers walking around can be heard.
But this silence is broken by a previously inconspicuous woman in a long blue coat, who begins to cry loudly. She covers her mouth with one hand to muffle her voice, her eyes fill with tears, and her other hand supports her already large belly.
This is Anastasiia, Andrii’s pregnant wife.
At this moment, it is most painful for me to think about how many families are like this. How many women have lost their husbands while pregnant? Often on social media, you can see videos of Ukrainian women organizing gender parties at the graves of their husbands.
The worst thing is to realize that these children were not abandoned by their fathers, who may have wanted them more than anything else in the world. Instead, Russia decided that it had the right to take away the most precious things from people – their lives and families.
Next to Anastasiia is an old woman of small stature who keeps looking into the coffin and saying softly, “Son…”. This is Andrii’s mother.
The atmosphere in the cathedral is heavy. All around, there is a powerful smell of burning wax candles. It seems that the cathedral itself is mourning all the fallen Ukrainian soldiers. It’s hard to breathe there, I want to get some fresh air. But the feeling prevails that praying for the repose of the soul of a fallen soldier who protects each of us is the least we can do.
The funeral ceremony in St. Michael’s Cathedral lasts about 40 minutes.
For me, this time seems like an eternity, but for his wife Anastasiia, it probably flies by. At the same time, this is only my assumption, because it is difficult to imagine what a wife who has lost her husband in the war feels.
All those who came to say goodbye to Andrii were divided into two camps: first, his family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues.
Second, a bank of journalists, recording the ceremony.
They Want His Story Told
At some point, it seemed completely absurd to me: dozens of cameras shining on Andrii’s coffin, and photographers running around looking for a good shot. It seems that in such an intimate moment, when his family is already alienated from everyone they know, they cannot get the peace they want to say goodbye to Andrii on their own terms.
But Andrii’s family has allowed journalists to be here, because they want his story to be told. After the ceremony, I tried to speak to some of the guests to get a sense of Andrii’s life.
Many of those present are not used to such publicity and refuse to comment. But those who do speak have nothing but wonderful things to say about him.
His friend Tetiana said that Andrii was someone who enjoyed cooking liver cake – a savory Ukrainian delicacy – for his loved ones, and also someone who was so thoughtful that he cleaned up before his cleaning lady came, “because he was ashamed”.
She describes him as a sincere and kind man, and his death is a great loss for Ukraine.
Andrii’s coffin is taken out of the cathedral. His wife follows it, Kyiv, January 10, 2025
Before he died, Andrii was dreaming of a future of peace and tranquility when the war ended. He was planning a happy family life and waiting to finally spend more time with Anastasiia.
But in the end, Anastasiia and Andrii spent no more than two months together during the almost year and a half they were married – their wedding was in September 2023. All the time Andrii was at war.
After his funeral, Andrii Kuzmenko was buried in the Alley of Heroes in the forest cemetery in Kyiv.