On February 24, 2024, protesters will gather in Times Square in New York City to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. (Yana Paskova/Getty Images)
The diaspora is not united on the choice of president for 2024. Despite the fact that Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for the 2020 presidential elections, has promised to continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
Some Ukrainian American voters believe that despite Donald Trump’s apparent close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his open hostility towards Ukraine, he is the candidate who can end the war quickly.
Dennis Goldenberg, a Ukrainian American, told the Kyiv Independent that Trump was the only president who could get Putin to agree to a deal because he would be able go back to his country and tell them he won but still leave most of Ukraine intact.
Many Ukrainian Americans who vote in the presidential election on Nov. 5, which is expected to be decided by razor-thin margins in the end, will do so with the war on their minds, but also with competing visions about which president would best serve Ukraine.
Ukrainians who are unable to vote in the U.S. watch the election hoping that their candidate for president will bring peace to a nation at war.
The Kyiv Independent asked Ukrainians who are eligible to vote in the U.S. about the outcome that they would most like to see.
Eugene Luciw
In Pennsylvania, a pivotal swing state with 19 Electoral College Votes that could provide a path to success for either presidential candidate in the Philadelphia area, one of America’s biggest Ukrainian communities is located.
Eugene Luciw is the president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Philadelphia Branch. He says that, as a local resident, he has a good understanding of Ukrainian Americans from all political backgrounds.
He says that it’s not surprising to him that many Ukrainians vote for Trump. But, emotionally, he finds it a little surprising. He’s a Republican and is familiar with the arguments Ukrainian Americans use to support Trump.
The case he does not agree with is that Russia illegally annexed Crimea when the U.S. government was under a Democratic Administration, and then during Trump’s four-year tenure, Russia did not invade Ukraine, only to launch a full scale invasion once a Democrat returned to the White House.
“They see a pattern (with Democrats) of weakness, and a pattern (with Republicans), which I think translates into hope and belief that Trump will provide this strong man motif if he is elected president.”
He says that they believe Trump will be strong and will back down his adversary, despite what he has said on the trail.
Luciw says: “I believe Trump when he says that he’s going to try to resolve the war in one day. And the fact that you will resolve it in a day, is that you have to force Ukraine to surrender its current territory.”
“I find that to be a very stupid thing for Ukraine.” I will vote for Kamala Harris, the Vice President.
Dennis Goldenberg
Goldberg has never questioned his decision to vote Trump on November 5.
The Ukrainian American from Philadelphia believes that the best outcome for Ukraine would be a strong U.S. leader. He sees this more in Trump than Harris.
“I think that his view on this conflict matches mine. I am afraid that the war will end up in a deadlock if it continues. Goldberg says that Trump “understands Putin’s tactics a little better”.
“I think Trump is the only president who could get Putin to agree to a deal because he would be able go back to his people, and tell them he won but leave most Ukraine intact.
Goldberg’s vote isn’t limited to the war in Ukraine. He supports Trump’s tax cuts and believes he brought the Middle East closer towards peace than any other president. He also supports building a wall along the southern border of the United States with Mexico in order to stop illegal immigration.
Goldberg’s half-family is from Moldova and the other is from Kamianets-Podilskyi in the west Ukraine.
Goldberg believes that Trump can end the war in 24 hours after taking office.
“I can understand why he wouldn’t want to reveal his plan because he would lose leverage, because if you disclose your plan, then your enemy will know your plan.”
Goldberg told The Kyiv Independent he believes Trump will be the best president for Ukraine, as he is the only one of the four previous presidents under whom Russia has not taken more territory.
During the presidency of Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, Putin invaded Ukraine in the east and illegally annexed Crimea. He also invaded Georgia during the previous Republican administration, which preceded Trump, during the tenure of President George W. Bush.
Anton Tatus
Tatus, a few days before the election, shares the same mindset as the undecided Americans that both campaigns have been trying to reach with millions of dollars in spending and thousands of miles of travel across the country.
The 22-year old Manhattan banker, who is also a Ukrainian citizen, is not only undecided as to who he hopes will win on Nov. 5, he has limited power to make a difference. He can’t vote.
The Kyiv-born mathematician isn’t sure if his long-term future lies in the U.S. so he didn’t bother with citizenship.
He left Kyiv aged 16 with the dream of working on Wall Street. He’s now wondering when he might be able to return to Ukraine.
This Ukrainian citizen is at risk. During the next U.S. Presidential administration, he will reach the age of conscription for the Ukrainian military. If he returns to Ukraine, then he could be drafted.
“I don’t really know who I want to be the winner. Tatus says, “It’s a complicated question for a Ukrainian citizen… someone who cares about Ukraine, I would probably have a controversial response.” “I think Trump could be better for Ukraine than Kamala. I know that this is not the consensus view.
Tatus, despite believing that neither Harris or Trump could end the conflict immediately, reserves a little hope for Ukraine amidst Trump’s uncertainty.
“Trump is a wildcard.” I don’t believe he knows what he is going to do. I think that it will be entirely dependent on the person he chooses to be secretary of state and defence.”
“Trump is the wild card.”
“Kamala’s foreign policy in Ukraine will be a continuation of the Biden Administration.” We’ll receive some aid, but barely enough to live.”
Some people view Harris’ broader candidacy, despite the expectation that she will continue Biden’s approach to Ukraine. Tatus says that if it were 2020 he would be a Biden fanatic. Tatus, like other Ukrainians who cannot vote, would have a different perception of the nominees’ platforms if he were a citizen.
“If I were an American citizen, then I wouldn’t have so much confidence in Trump. It becomes very complex, it becomes 50/50.”
Elyse Demkiw
Demkiw spent the last few weeks selling Ukraine to American investors. The Ukrainian Canadian from Kyiv worked in New York and Kyiv for a venture-capital startup investing in Ukrainian technologies.
She wishes she could vote and canvass for Harris. Demkiw says that knowing some Americans will not vote is just as frustrating as knowing they’ll vote for Trump.
Demkiw’s moral opposition to Trump began to grow as she saw through her venture-capital work that American Democrats tended to support Ukraine more than Republicans.
Demkiw says that “in terms of Trump versus Harris on Ukraine, neither one guarantees anything. But Trump’s actions are worse than (Harris’s) potential inaction.” “While (Harris), might not be able convince Congress to pass assistance, at least she will be open to the concept of Ukrainian victory.” Trump had two chances to express his (interest in Ukrainian victories) during the debate, but he did not.”
“In terms Trump versus Harris on Ukraine, I don’t think either one guarantees anything. But Trump’s actions are worse than (Harris’s) potential inaction.”
Demkiw, who is a Ukrainian, understands that many Ukrainians who came to America after the Soviet Union fell in 1991 are Trump supporters.
Demkiw tells some Ukrainians who are planning to vote for Trump on November 5 that Trump’s base is sold the American Dream, the promise of upward mobility, and the appeal of capitalism.
“Trump’s victory in wiping America’s hand of the Ukraine war will be enough for him; it’ll lead to a rapid ceasefire, and no extension of the conflict into NATO.”
The future of my country depends on this election.
Alyssa Lytvynova
Lytvynova’s partner, who is in the Ukrainian military, is nearly 5,000 kilometres away from the frontlines of the Russian war in Ukraine. The New Yorker is therefore much more in tune with how the White House’s decisions impact Ukraine’s frontline.
Lytvynova fled her hometown of Alchevsk when Russia invaded Ukraine’s eastern Donbas in 2014. She now works for a U.S. startup that monitors media in Ukraine and looks at narratives surrounding her home country.
Lytvynova claims that before she moved to New York, she was told she should expect a liberal ‘wokeism,’ and anti-family value image of the Democratic Party. She says this has not been accurate. She is concerned that some right-leaning media portray the Democratic Party as “anti-everything Ukraine currently stands for,” which she says, is not true.
“I’m unsure who I would vote for.” “I’m not sure who I would vote (for)” says Lytvynova. She does not have citizenship, so she cannot vote.
“But I still believe she could do better explaining what she truly means behind those ambiguous “let’s turn back” phrases,” Lytvynova said, referring to Harris’s campaign phrase similar to “when fighting, we win,” which often serve as a reference to Trump’s turmoil or as a crowd pleaser.
Lytvynova argues that voting for Harris is a choice between two evils.
She says that too many people put their trust in Trump’s promise to end the Ukraine war in one day.
“I don’t believe that is the case.”
Lytvynova questions why Trump hasn’t done anything to stop the war that he claims to have immediate authority over, if it’s true that acclaimed Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward has reported that Trump has spoken with Putin repeatedly.
Both parties will continue to use the same approach. They will give us some money and fund us a bit, but not enough to make a difference in the war.
Dariia ordynat
Ordynat says that Trump’s unpredictable behavior is frightening, but so is the fear of isolation a Harris White House would bring to Ukraine.
The 23-year old public health professional from Rivne, in the west of Ukraine, is concerned that Harris will continue President Biden’s policies towards Ukraine which delay and limit aid based on fear of escalation.
Ordynat is frustrated and defeated by the fact that not all eligible voters exercise their right to vote. If she could vote, she would vote for Harris. She says that the vice president is predictable and reasonable.
“The elections make me uneasy about the future of Ukraine.” Ordynat: “I believe both presidential candidates made a lot promises to Ukraine, but they haven’t always kept them.”
“I would vote for Harris.” I’m still a bit scared of her as well, because her approach to the situation in Ukraine can be weak at times. “We’re just prolonging an inevitable situation.”
Ordynat believes that although Harris has made it clear she stands with Ukraine, despite her obvious support for the country, she fears that she will continue to provide Ukraine with some aid without taking a sufficiently aggressive approach to end this war.
She’s not surprised, despite her dislike for Trump, that some Ukrainians living in the U.S. back Trump.
They’re conservative by nature. They tend to ignore how terrible Trump could be for Ukraine.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com