A group of Georgetown University students joined a rally in Washington, D.C. Feb. 21, demanding global support for Ukraine and marking four years of the Russia-Ukraine war.
The rally — hosted by a group of 10 Ukrainian organizations, including the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States — called for an end to the war in Ukraine, prompted by Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, 2022. The students who attended the rally are members of the Georgetown University Ukrainian Society (GUUS), a campus organization that aims to raise awareness for Ukraine through advocacy.
Vera Berezhny (CAS ’26), GUUS’s president, who attended the rally, said supporting Ukraine is vital, especially as the conflict continues.
“I’m Ukrainian by heritage — my entire family is Ukrainian,” Berezhny told The Hoya. “It’s now four years of the full-scale invasion, but it’s been 12 years of war since the annexation of Crimea and the incursion into Donbas and we can’t look away. I think it gets easier every day to look away — the news cycle changes very, very quickly — but it’s important now more than ever to keep paying attention to Ukraine.”
In 2014, Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in violation of international law, starting the conflict with Ukraine. The Donbas, a Ukrainian territory bordering Russia, was invaded in 2022 and is almost fully occupied.
Yulian Dlaboha (CAS ’29), a GUUS member who attended the rally, said he is proud to be Ukrainian and hopes to see more students get involved in events held on campus.
“I’m very passionate about my heritage,” Dlaboha told The Hoya. “I love the Ukrainian society here at Georgetown. I think it’s a great community of people. Every time there’s an event to support Ukraine, I think everyone should go to it. I think everyone should show their support and show what they truly think to finally make a change.”
The rally, held annually at the Lincoln Memorial since 2024, drew hundreds of protestors and featured speakers such as Denys Sienik, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Ukraine in the U.S., and Jovita Neliupšienė, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to the United States.
Neliupšienė said the EU will continue to support Ukraine in its war efforts, highlighting monetary and humanitarian aid.
“Since day one, Europe and European countries have been standing next to Ukraine,” Neliupšienė said at the rally. “We try our best to help to train Ukrainian soldiers, we try our best to support financially and humanitarianly — we already dedicated more than 200 billion euros for that. We will do our best when it comes to ensuring security is guaranteed for Ukraine. We try our best with broken hands to help and support those who are working on bringing Ukrainian children back.”
Neliupšienė’s speech called for the EU to continue sanctioning Russia, denounced military aggression and praised Ukraine for its resilience.
Nathan Fouse, a protester who attended the rally, said Russia must be held accountable for the war against Ukraine.
“I came here because I support Ukraine, and because I support international democracy,” Fouse told The Hoya. “This is a decisive moment in history. We need to put more pressure against Russia, the end is simple if Russia stops attacking. Russia signed papers recognizing Ukraine a long time ago, and we need to pressure them on that.”
Berezhny said small acts of solidarity, such as spreading awareness and making donations, can go a long way.
“Keep talking about it, and keep sharing it in non-Ukrainian communities,” Berezhny said. “If you’re American, call your representatives, your senators and your local state legislators to keep pushing sanction bills and to keep pushing aid to Ukraine. Keep talking about it, support grassroots movements.”
“I know I’m just a drop from the sea, but every penny matters and every individual matters,” Berezhny added. “Just being here and getting my friends to come means more than any one of us can imagine.”
