Demand Accountability and Solidarity: No Deals with Putin Without Ukraine at the Table

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fourth year, the deadly consequences for Ukrainian civilians are mounting. July was the deadliest month since May 2022, with Russian bombs continuing to devastate communities. In this context, the decision to host a summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on American soil—without Ukrainian representation—is a profound betrayal of the Ukrainian people and a blow to international norms.

Ukrainian-Americans in Chicago and across the country have voiced outrage at the summit, which they see as legitimizing a regime responsible for war crimes and ongoing atrocities. Excluding Ukraine from negotiations about its own sovereignty is a violation of basic principles of self-determination and justice. As Dr. Mariya Dmytriv Kapeniak, President of the Ukrainian Congress Committee Illinois Division, stated: 'Inviting Putin to American soil is wrong; he belongs in jail for his war crimes and the ongoing atrocities.'

We stand with Ukrainian-Americans demanding that the U.S. government refuse to make deals about Ukraine without Ukraine, hold Putin accountable for his crimes, and recommit to supporting Ukraine’s fight for independence and democracy. Anything less is complicity in aggression and undermines the values America claims to uphold.