Washington (EFE)
The concentration took place at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial and was called by a dozen Ukrainian organizations based in the United States, such as the NGO “United Help Ukraine”.
Among the attendees was 20-year-old Kirill Naumenko, who held a handmade banner in the yellow and blue colors of the Ukrainian flag and with the message:
“I am from Mariupol, Russia is killing my city. Help us.”
Four months ago, Naumenko, her 16-year-old sister and their parents had to leave Mariupol, which Russia seized last April, after shelling destroyed their home and the family car repair business.
“We were left with nothing,” Naumenko told Efe. The family had a friend in the American city of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and, thanks to his efforts, they were able to request asylum in the United States.
When asked why he came to the march, Naumenko paused for a moment and explained that he wants the West to help Ukraine with weapons so that it can end the war soon, and also psychological care for Ukrainians who have experienced violence up close.
Call for more aid for Ukraine
Most of the marchers called for more military aid for Ukraine with chants and banners that carried, for example, the message: “Words don’t stop dictators, but weapons do.”
Other banners branded Putin a “war criminal” and compared him to Adolf Hitler.
However, what dominated the demonstration were the Ukrainian flags. Of different sizes, some wrapped the demonstrators like a blanket, while other flags were smaller and the participants waved several in one hand.
Many of the women wore their hair adorned with flower crowns, in what has become a symbol of femininity, feminism and nationalism for Ukrainian women, Lydia Lisowsky, 23, explained to Efe that she herself wore her hair adorned. with yellow, blue and red flowers.
The young woman had traveled more than six hours by car with her family from Cleveland (Ohio) to attend the demonstration in Washington.
“It’s sad, but at the same time it’s good to be together with other Ukrainians who feel the same way as you. We must mourn, together, for all that has been lost this year,” reflected Lisowsky, a US citizen with Ukrainian grandparents who immigrated to the US after World War II.
Support for Ukraine on the anniversary of the war
Demonstrations in support of Ukraine have taken place in various cities around the world, such as Brussels.
While, in parallel, there have also been massive protests that question the delivery of weapons to Ukraine or call for a ceasefire.
In Berlin, critics of the arms shipment managed to gather around 10,000 people.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine turned one year old yesterday, Friday, when the government of US President Joe Biden took the opportunity to announce new sanctions against 200 Russian individuals and entities, in addition to a package of 2,000 million dollars in military aid.
In parallel, the European Union adopted this Saturday its tenth package of sanctions against Russia.