On the afternoon of Sunday, March 2, hundreds of Ukrainian supporters gathered at Harry Bridges Plaza near the San Francisco Ferry Building to protest President Trump’s heated press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. During the conference, Trump claimed Zelensky didn’t want America’s help in reaching a cease-fire with Russia, leading to Zelensky being asked to leave the White House.
Waving American and Ukrainian flags, members of the group Bay Area United for Ukraine held signs reading “Make America a Democracy Again,” a play on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Passers-by honked their car horns in support. Many demonstrators took to the steps of Harry Bridges Plaza, delivering speeches over a megaphone questioning Trump’s intentions of aligning with Russia. The rally was filled with cheers of “Slava Ukraini” and renditions of Ukraine’s national anthem.
Andrii Anpilogov, a demonstrator from Palo Alto who immigrated to the United States from Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2018, four years after Russia illegally annexed Crimea, shared his thoughts on Trump’s approach to peace negotiations. “This is not the course of action that should be taken,” Anpilogov said. “Democratic forces should stay aligned and act with the same goal.”
Much of the American public and many European nations were appalled by Trump and Vice President Vance’s behavior in the Oval Office. On X, European Commission Vice President Kaja Kallas said, “The free world needs a new leader.”
Many European leaders reaffirmed their countries’ support for Ukraine, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who said on X, “Dear @ZelenskyUa, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.” However, not all European leaders shared this sentiment. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said, “President @realDonaldTrump stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr. President.”
Such differences of opinion were echoed in the United States, falling along party lines. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of “doing Putin’s dirty work,” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the meeting “appalling.” Republicans had the opposite reaction. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who earlier in the day expressed firm support for Zelensky, called for Zelensky’s resignation. Similarly, in an interview with NBC News, House Speaker Mike Johnson said if Zelensky doesn’t change his approach, “someone else needs to lead” Ukraine.
Trump’s position on Ukraine-Russia is a reversal from his predecessor, President Biden. Under the Biden administration, the United States appropriated $182.8 billion, of which $83.4 billion has been disbursed to Ukraine, according to Ukraine Oversight. Such support received bipartisan backing when initially approved, but recent rhetoric from Trump and the shift from other key Republican Party members like Graham seems to indicate a change in their support for Ukraine.
When asked about the possibility of a Ukraine-Russia cease-fire, Stuart Hall High School Modern History teacher Dr. Thomas Apel said, “Russia cannot be trusted to uphold a peace deal and security guarantee on its own, and Ukraine must be included in the European Union for its security to be assured. Ukraine joining NATO seems like a long shot, and the Russians may be unwilling to reach a peace settlement unless they are assured that Ukraine will not be admitted.”
At this point, the United States is likely only to help Ukraine if it gets something out of it, like a mineral rights deal, and not simply for the principle of standing up for democracy, as many European nations do.
Democracy is currently under threat everywhere, both in Europe and, many would argue, in the United States. While shaping how world events play out, citizens like those who attended the Bay Area United for Ukraine rally can voice their alternative opinions and tell those in Washington and across the world that the United States, despite what its leaders may say, stands for democracy and supports Ukraine.