Ukrainian Americans in Ohio weighed in following the tense discussion between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday.
“This is not a game. This is not a gamble. This is evil. This is sovereignty,” said Roman Skalsky.
Skalsky told the Scripps News Group he is disappointed, and said he expected the U.S. to listen to Zelenskyy to understand what is going on in Ukraine and what is needed to bring peace.
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"It’s personal for me. It’s personal for a lot of people in Parma and Cleveland-area. We have a lot of refugees that are worried what’s going to happen to them. Can you imagine them going back to Ukraine? This is hard,” said Skalsky.
Meanwhile, Diyana Alexandra Gabyak said she understands why it became tense and said she doesn’t blame either side, but encourages everyone to trust the process.
“It is crucial that we all remain calm about this whole situation because we understand that the stakes are very high,” said Gabyak. “As American people, we haven’t seen that accountability and clarity in the past years, but in that same way, we can understand Ukraine, Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian President. They are in a very tough situation.”
While a deal was not reached to bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the U.S. to then receive a share of Ukraine’s mineral resources, Skalsky said he stands behind Zelenskyy’s request for security guarantees to prevent Russia’s aggression.
“I’m completely with him, but of course Trump, you know president, I respect, we’re praying for him… we want him to understand you cannot play with evil,” said Skalsky.
Meanwhile, Gabyak said she hopes there is a possibility for a partnership between the U.S. and Ukraine one day in the future.
“My hope is that this whole deal actually comes to an end where President Trump really sees this as an opportunity to partner with Ukraine, and I believe if he will partner with Ukrainian people, with Ukraine for the future, it will also help America to stay stronger,” said Gabyak.
As the Ukrainian community waits to see what’s next, they ask for prayers and support from government officials to soon reach peace.
This article was written by Remi Murrey for the Scripps News Group.
