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.

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.

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.

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

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)

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 Independent February 20, 2025

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

by Myroslava Tanska-Vikulova

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.