NYC Protestors Stand with Ukraine as Trump Pauses Aid to Country Battling Russia
A pro-Ukrainian crowd estimated to be 1,000 strong rallied in the East Village on March 4, the same night President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress and defended his decision to suspend military aid to the embattled country..
| 06 Mar 2025 | 05:14
Pro-Ukrainian demonstrators march down Broadway on March 4. (
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Many of the demonstrators carried photos of friends and relations killed or wounded in the Russo-Ukraine War. (
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Demonstrators said standing with Ukraine will deter Russian aggression across Europe. (
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Many of the demonstrators marching down Broadway on March 4 wrapped themselves in capes with the colors of the Ukrainian flag. (
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One of the demonstrator at the pro-Ukranian rally in the East Village and SOHO on March 4. (
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Demonstrators said they were standing with democracy. (
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About 1,000 demonstrators marched through the East Village not far from the enclave known as Little Ukraine and down Broadway through SoHo on March 4 to protest President Donald Trump’s decision to pause military aid to the country which has been trying to repel a Russian invasion for over three years.
It’s no surprise, since New York City is home to the largest Ukrainian population in the United States.
The demonstration came days after the talks between Ukrainian president Volodymr Zelenskyy and Trump went spectacularly off the rails in the Oval Office on Feb. 28. Trump booted Zelenskyy from the White House without so much as letting him eat lunch and subsequently suspended US military aid to the embattled country that was invaded by Russia in Feb. 2021.
The demonstration, which started around Astor Place and then marched down Broadway through Soho, was organized by Razom, a rights organization founded a decade ago. In Ukrainian, the word Razom means “together” and according to the organization’s web site, it is dedicated to the principles of the “Revolution of Dignity,” and the “establishment of a secure, prosperous and democratic Ukraine.”
“The failed negotiations on [Feb. 28] were not a win for America or Ukraine,” said Mykola Murskyj, Director of Advocacy at Razom. “The only beneficiaries were Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea. Supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom is not just about European security—it’s about U.S. national security.”
The demonstrators marched behind a placard that read: NY STANDS WITH UKRAINE. Their shouts labelling Russia a “terrorist state” and disparaging Russian Premier Vladimir Putin could be heard in the nearby high-rise buildings. American and Ukrainian flags were held by numerous members of the crowd, which varied in age but not seemingly in their dedication to the Ukraine.
Demonstrators held signs advocating a peace with security, and many held American flags in a bid to show that rank-and-file Americans still support Ukraine despite the recent actions by Trump.
“America must send a clear message to all dictators: This is not what we stand for,” said Murskyj. “Seventy percent of Republican voters say Russia is the aggressor, and 83 percent disapprove of Putin,” he said. “It’s time to remind Washington what Americans truly care about.”
A Ukrainian immigrant named Pavlevych, who said she moved to the United States seven years ago, told amNewYork: “I am angry. Our government is losing its tracks, and we’re here to remind them what Americans want and what they care about.”
Another demonstrator, Yevhen Maistren, who was wounded while fighting for Ukraine told amNewYork, “I beg you, as a soldier, as a Marine Corps, and as a veteran of Ukraine, to please help Ukraine. And to know, I know if we don’t sign a cease-fire, I know Russia will come back to me. They’re gonna kill my family. They’re gonna kill my soldiers, and Russia won’t stop again. They’re gonna come to Europe and much further, I ask you, deeply from my heart, help Ukraine.”
The American Coalition for Ukriane which helped organize the demonstration in New York as well as simultaneous demonstrations in, Pennsylvania, Michigan and elsewhere, said: “The administration must realign its foreign policy with our allies—including Ukraine and Europe. Any resolution must include strong security guarantees for Ukraine. Supporting Ukraine in the face of ongoing aggression is not just a moral obligation; it is a critical national security interest for the United States.”
The crowd was loud and boisterous but otherwise peaceful. Police said there were no arrests connected to the march.