Supporters of Ukraine gather in Warren

WARREN — Supporters of Ukraine stood on a muddy patch along Ryan Road, holding signs and waiving the country’s blue and yellow flags on March 4. They sang patriotic songs as cars drove by, overwhelmingly honking in support with the occasional detractor.

The crowd gathered in front of the Ukrainian Cultural Center to show support for Ukraine and criticize President Donald Trump following a tense Feb. 28 meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“It was shocking and appalling,” Warren Mayor Lori Stone, who was at the rally, said about the meeting. “The president is the first ambassador of this country. For them to treat an ally and a friend with such disdain felt like a slap in the face. I think that’s true for people throughout this country.”

In a March 2 interview with Meet the Press, host Margret Brennan asked U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, what he thought about the Trump administration’s decision to not recognize Russia’s role in starting the war. James called Russia the “aggressor” but said Zelenskyy “fumbled the bag pretty hard.” He criticized former President Joe Biden for his spending on the war and a lack of vision for ending it.

“President Trump is doing everything that he can to get a lasting peace, an enduring peace in Eastern Europe and throughout the world,” James said. “He’s already ended one war in the Middle East. I think we should give him a chance to end one in Europe.”

A flier from the American Coalition for Ukraine was circulated on social media about the event in Warren. According to its website, the group was founded by “... a group of U.S.-based nonprofit organizations with the goal of mobilizing and coordinating advocacy efforts within the local Ukrainian community.” The organizations include Razom, Ukrainian National Women’s League of America, Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, Nova Ukraine and United Help Ukraine.

According to previous reporting in the Warren Weekly, there were nearly 50,000 Ukrainians living in Michigan in 2024, including populations in Warren, Troy, and Sterling Heights.

Roksolna Karanec, who previously lived in Warren for about 20 years, said she heard about the event on social media. She said recent events, especially the Feb. 28 meeting, caused her to come out.

“I’m supporting Zelenskyy, I’m supporting Ukraine,” Karanec said. “My parents came from the Ukraine after World War II, so this is very important to me.”

Karanec grew up in Hamtramck and was a part of the Ukrainian Community. She speaks Ukrainian and grew up attending a Ukrainian church and a Ukrainian school. At the rally, Karanec held up a sign with images from the war with the message “Wake up America!” In the corner was a heart in the colors of the Ukrainian flag.

Andy Blysniuk, a Ukrainian American, held up a sign that said, “Ukraine needs our help not Russia!” Blysniuk has lived in Royal Oak for about 25 years. His parents went to Canada after World War II. He said he’s confused about the United States’ relationship with Russia and the U.S. “throwing Ukraine under the bus.”

“I am disgusted with the moves our president has made and really just flipping everything I thought this country believed in,” Blysniuk said.

Hamtramck resident Nataliya Bilous explained that the support the United States gives Ukraine is an obligation, not a gift. She cited the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, which caused Ukraine’s nuclear weapons arsenal to be transported to Russia for dismantling. In exchange, the United States, United Kingdom and Russia pledged to respect Ukrainian sovereignty.

“It seems like it’s a bad nightmare,” Bilous said about current events.

Bilous is concerned about what it means for a democracy like Ukraine to lose support from the United States. She is also concerned about freedom of speech being restricted in the U.S.

“American people, they always live in the comfort zone,” Bilous said. “They never have been told what you’re going to wear tomorrow, what kind of book you will read.”

Stone said Warren is a diverse place and has a significant Ukrainian population.

“I’m disheartened by what’s going on in D.C.” Stone said. “I don’t feel like the leadership is representative of our democratic values. I’ve worked with the Ukrainian community. I’ve learned from the Ukrainian community here. I’m proud to stand with them and express my support and let them know they’re not alone in this.”

Call Staff Writer Nick Powers at (586) 498-1059.