By David Denham
The rally, organized by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America’s Illinois Division, brought together Ukrainians, Crimean Tatars, Americans and allies in a powerful show of solidarity at a particularly critical moment in the ongoing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
“Defending Ukraine Makes Us Safer”
Representative Mike Quigley, who serves Illinois’ 5th Congressional District, delivered a passionate address emphasizing America’s own security interests in supporting Ukraine.
“Defending Ukraine makes us safer,” Quigley told the crowd. He invoked the words of past presidents, reminding attendees of Kennedy’s inaugural address from January 20, 1961: “We shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” Quigley also referenced Ronald Reagan’s pledge to “do everything we can to defend our democratic rights” .
Diplomatic Voice Joins the Call
Ukrainian Consul in Chicago, Mr. Serhiy Koledov, addressed the crowd with a powerful reminder of Ukraine’s determination in the face of continued aggression.
“Putin and his officials are pathological liars, their words cannot be trusted,” Koledov emphasized. “Just a week before the full-scale invasion, Putin lied to friends in the international community and Germany, saying that he had no plans to attack Ukraine.” The Consul’s remarks underlined the Ukrainian government’s position that any diplomatic discussions must be approached with extreme caution.
Local Leaders Join the Cause
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot emphasized the global implications of the war.
“It’s also important to us, to democracy, because Putin will not rest on Ukraine — he will come to Europe,” Lightfoot warned. “We all stand together with the Ukrainian people. We cannot allow Putin to win this war, and we must push back against any notion of negotiations between Trump and Putin without the President of Ukraine and its representatives at the table.”
Crimean Tatar Voice Sounds Alarm
Zera and Zarema Mustafaeva from the Crimean Tatar Foundation USA delivered an emotional speech, reminding those gathered of the long history of Russian aggression.
“The Russian-Ukrainian war has been going on for 11 years. It began with the occupation of Crimea in 2014, when the world could not unite to repel Russia. That impunity then led to the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022,” they stated.
President of the “CTF USA” detailed the persecutions in Crimea: “For 11 years of Crimea’s occupation, Moscow has brutally persecuted the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and ethnic Ukrainians who remain loyal to Ukraine in Crimea. The occupiers’ goal is to displace Crimean Tatars from their native land by intimidating them with terror, illegal arrests, criminal mobilization, and torture. Today, hundreds of Crimean Tatars have become victims of Russian repression, taken from Crimea and thrown behind bars.”
Regarding recent diplomatic developments, they expressed a firm position: “The beginning of Trump’s communication with the dictator Putin has shaken all of us. The positions announced by the United States are unacceptable for Ukraine, but we will not allow our fate to be decided without us. The principle remains inviolable! Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine! Nothing about Crimea without Ukraine and Crimean Tatars!”
Zera and Zarema Mustafaieva also outlined clear conditions for a peace agreement: “The condition for a peace treaty that will formalize the end of the Ukrainian-Russian war must be the restoration of the territorial integrity of independent Ukraine as of 1991. Russia as an aggressor must be forced to peace and to pay reparations to Ukraine. The international community must support the right of subjugated peoples of Russia to self-determination! Putin as a war criminal must face a special tribunal and be punished!”
Democratic Values at Stake
‘Mariya Dmytriv-Kapeniak, president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America’s Illinois Division, framed the conflict in terms of broader democratic principles.
“If the United States fails Ukraine right now, it fails democracy, it fails the values that it stands for,” she told demonstrators.
Throughout the event, participants chanted slogans including “Justice for Ukraine,” “Arm Ukraine Now,” and “Victory for Ukraine is victory for the U.S.” Children were seen distributing small Ukrainian flags to attendees, highlighting the multigenerational nature of the Ukrainian diaspora’s advocacy efforts.
The rally comes at a moment of heightened uncertainty regarding U.S. policy toward Ukraine, with many in the Ukrainian-American community expressing concern about potential shifts in diplomatic approach that could compromise Ukraine’s sovereignty.
As the crowd dispersed, their message remained clear: support for Ukraine represents not just solidarity with a nation under siege, but a defense of the democratic values America itself claims to uphold.
For additional information, contact Zera Mustafaieva, CEO of the Crimean Tatar Foundation USA, at zera@crimeantatarfoundation.org