There are more than 7,000 people living in Syracuse who are either first or second generation Ukrainian, and they're likely closely watching as the U.S. unravels diplomatic and financial support .
“Shocking” is how S.U. alumnus Mark Temnycky describes the recent deterioration in U.S.-Ukraine relations. The accredited freelance journalist covers Eurasia, and is also a fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington, DC. He said meetings between the U.S. and Russia without Ukrainian or European representatives only emboldens Russia.
“This gives Russia leverage to speak about what it thinks its worldview should be in Europe, and how things should be perceived," Temnycky said. "And it also legitimizes Russia in some capacity because you're treating them as a negotiating partner instead of a country that is waging a war that has been condemned by most countries around the world.”
Temnycky says nearly 80 countries have sent some form of humanitarian, medical, financial, or defense assistance to Ukraine during the three-year war, making the U.S. an outlier as it suspends aid and military intelligence. He said the lost support undermines the U.S. as a champion of democracy, and makes it more difficult for Ukraine to save itself.
“That then puts additional pressure on European countries, as well as Japan, Australia, New Zealand and several others who have been assisting Ukraine, to step up and do more to help the Ukrainians," Temnycky said. "Because a lot of these countries, particularly in Central or Eastern Europe understand that if Ukraine is taken over by Russia, then a lot of these countries could be next towards Russian aggression.”
Temnycky said after three years and in the face of misleading rhetoric, it’s becoming more difficult to rally and maintain public support for Ukraine.
“What's frustrating is if people either willingly or unwillingly are continuing to say Russian propaganda points, or talking about the war is not important or anything like that," Temnycky said. "At this point, you're not going to change anyone's opinion and educate them differently, which is a shame.”
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there are nearly a 1.5 million Ukrainian or Ukrainian-Americans living in the U.S. More than 143,000 of them live here in New York.
