Blowup between Trump and Zelenskyy raises new concerns about Ukraine war in Chicago's Ukrainian Village - CBS Chicago
/ CBS Chicago
Ukrainians share fears after heated Trump-Zelenskyy meeting at White House
A fiery meeting between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making waves around the world, including Chicago's Ukrainian Village neighborhood.
An Oval Office meeting between President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Zelenskyy descended into a nearly 10-minute shouting match. The president and vice president accused Zelenskyy of being ungrateful and disrespectful. The Ukrainian president then left without signing a rare minerals deal with the U.S.
The contentious meeting has created a lot of uncertainty about the war in Ukraine, and what happens next.
Moments after the heated exchange at the White House, people across the country started talking, especially those here in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side.
Many people who live in the neighborhood have loved ones in Ukraine. The evening mass at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral had people praying for ongoing peace talks, while others took to the streets.
One woman voiced her outrage about the outcome of what was to be a discussion on ending the war that Russia started in Ukraine, shouting "Slava Ukraine, Trump is a traitor," as drivers honked horns in support of Ukraine as they drove down Chicago Avenue.
Seeing the two leaders going at one another verbally in the Oval Office left many local Ukrainians with mixed feelings.
At Ann's Bakery & Deli, the Ukrainian grocery store has operated since 1991, and what played out in the Oval Office was the talk of those entering the store.
The owner has family back in Ukraine, and said many found the exchange between the two presidents troubling.
"Very disappointed they dont' know what it's going to be end, when the war is gonna stop," Ann's Bakery owner Wolodmyr Siryj said. "He (Zelenskyy) fights for his country, and I can't blame him. Maybe he said something not like Mr. Trump wants, but this is not like disrespect."
Siryj said he has talked to those in his native country as well as Ukrainian Americans in Chicago, and seeing the two leaders going at one another verbally in the Oval Office left many Ukrainians with mixed feelings. He noted out Ukraine needs the United States to sustain itself amid the four-year-long war with Russia.
He hopes the U.S. continues to support Ukraine in the war.
"Otherwise, Ukrainian [people] will be destroyed almost completely," he said.
While President Trump and others viewed Zelenskyy's behavior during the meeting as disrespectful, the owner of Tryzub Ukrainian Kitchen on Chicago Avenue saw otherwise.
"Trump and Vance are like two arrogant children who think that they know so much when they know so little, and Zelenskyy was just trying to give them a little taste of what the real situation is, and they couldn't accept that," Myron Lewyckyj said. "I'm proud to be an American. This is first time in my life I'm embarrassed to be an American."
Ukrainians disagree that Russia can be trusted as Mr. Trump believes, but having the two leaders leave without any resolution leaves many to hope there's room for another meeting.
"I hope there's enough of an uproar from the American public that Trump and Vance have a bit of change in attitude, and for that reason agree to have another meeting," Lewyckyj said.
Ukrainians said their country's future is at stake if the U.S. ends all aid to their homeland after the blowup at the White House, and that's what worries them the most.