Athlone Ukrainians voice 'deep concern'
The Ukrainian community in Athlone has expressed “deep concern” about the future of their country in the wake of this week's announcement that the United States has paused all military aid to Ukraine, days after a White House meeting between the leaders of both countries descended into chaos.
Oleksandr Biriukov, who is the spokesperson for a Ukrainian community group in Athlone which has 166 members, says the latest developments in the three-year war waged on his country as a result of the Russian invasion are “very worrying” but he is hopeful that political diplomacy will win out in the end and result in a peace agreement.
“My grandma was crying when she was watching the meeting between President Zelensky and Donald Trump in the Oval Office,” admitted Oleksandr, “but I think the views expressed at that meeting do not represent the view of ordinary Americans.”
He said they had been very supportive of Ukraine.
Oleksandr says Donald Trump wants peace “based on financial considerations only” and he said this cannot be allowed to happen. “We would see our country as being a shield between Russia and the rest of Europe and we have been shouting and crying as loud as we can for the past three years to try to let the rest of the world know that Putin will not stop with Ukraine because Russia is an imperialistic country.”
The 25-year-old scientist, who is from Kiev, was studying in Poland when war broke out in his native Ukraine, and he has been living and working in Athlone for the past two years. “All my family are still in Kiev, and I worry every day and every night about them because there are drone attacks every night and you just hope they will be ok.”
While he says it is “very sad” to read the news that military aid from the United States to Ukraine has been paused, he feels President Trump should be “putting pressure on Putin” instead of on the Ukrainian President. “What happened in the Oval Office is not the end of the world, and I believe the relationship between our President and Donald Trump can be repaired, it is never too late, but there cannot be peace in Ukraine without the involvement of Ukraine.”
Oleksandr Biriukov says Ukraine “does not trust Russia” based on past experience, and the most important consideration in any peace talks has to be “saving lives and creating a lasting peace” for the people of Ukraine. “Ukraine is a beautiful and rich country and for sure I will go back to live there at the first opportunity,” he says, “if Russia is punished for invading our country, then the future for Ukrainians can be different.”
When asked if ordinary Ukrainians continue to support President Zelensky, Oleksandr said: “We are a democratic country, we elected Vladimir Zelensky as our President and we have to be responsible for our own choices and for now we are united as one in the face of Russian aggression."
While he does acknowledge that Ukraine “has problems” in relation to the way in which it has been governed in the past, he says that the first step for his country is “achieving peace”.
Oleksandr says the Ukrainian community in Athlone and around the country are “very grateful” to Ireland and the rest of Europe for their “unwavering support” over the past three years, and particularly in the wake of last week's meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelensky.
In relation to the support of the Irish government, Oleksandr says the Ukrainian community would like to see Ireland steeping up diplomatic pressure to have Russia removed from the United Nations and to see the imposition of more sanctions.
“We have to continue to have hope for our country, because without hope we are lost,” he says, “with hope and faith we look forward to a new awakening and a new dawn for Ukraine soon.”