Former Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko speaks in Graham Chapel. (Ben McKinley | Staff Photographer)

Viktor Yushchenko, the former president of Ukraine, visited WashU on Wednesday to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war and the importance of supporting Ukraine. 

Yushchenko throughout his remarks emphasized Ukraine’s long fight for freedom and independence as a nation. In less than 70 years, Ukraine declared their independence six times, a fact that Yushchenko took pride in.

“We all have one dream. Tomorrow we will wake up. And we will live in an independent Ukraine,” Yushchenko said. “And that’s why in every generation, we had our leaders, we had our vision of how to become independent. And for us, this was a textbook way of understanding freedom.”

While running for president in 2004, Yushchenko survived an assasination attempt by poison. Yushchenko served as president from 2005 to 2010. After his presidency, Yushchenko has been active in the media criticizing Russia’s war against Ukraine. 

The event hosted by the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy was highly attended by members of the WashU community and Ukrainians from St. Louis. Yushchenko was accompanied by his wife, former First Lady Kateryna Yushchenko, the daughter of Ukrainian immigrants who grew up in the United States.

Along with Ukraine’s desire for independence, Yushchenko brought in how the war has demonstrated the shared culture, goals, and hopes of the Ukrainian people. 

“We’ve learned to recognize and to love our own culture, our own language, our memory, and our heroes,” Yushchenko said. “In other words, we became a nation. And that’s how we learned the most important feeling, and that’s the feeling of spirit.”

Yushchenko emphasized his frustration over current mediation attempts to bring Ukraine and Russia together because of the failing of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. The agreement was signed by Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. and was designed to ensure Ukrainian sovereignty; however, Russia broke the terms with their invasions of Ukrainian territory.

“The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. reaffirmed their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine,” Yushchenko said. “And Russia was the first to break their promise. Threw it away and trashed it. But now we’re being told to sit with Putin.”

Yushchenko’s words illustrated his frustration toward Russian President Vladimir Putin and the actions of mediating countries. 

“Ukraine is doing its job to protect its country and freedom. … You are telling our president and our nation to sit at the table with the Hitler of the 21st century,” Yushchenko said. “A person who kills Ukrainians every single day. Is that justice? Is this truth?”

Yushchenko took issue with the idea of negotiation and talks with Russia. He pointed out that the goals of Ukraine and of Russia fundamentally clash and aren’t possible at the same time. 

“We have very little room for compromise,” Yushchenko said. “They want to kill us, and we want to live.”  

Yuriy Kmiotek, a political activist and public speaker, was an attendee of the event. In his work, Kmiotek focuses on advocating for a democratic and free Ukraine. From Ohio, Kmiotek along with a few other Ukrainian American young adults were invited to attend the event and support the Yushchenkos during their time in St. Louis. Yushchenko gave remarks at St. Mary’s Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church and connected with local Ukrainians at Patisserie Svoi, a Ukrainian cafe in the Central West End. 

After the event Kmiotek expressed his appreciation of seeing the high attendance of the event and the support that Ukraine has received from Americans. 

“Ukrainians really are everywhere, whether that be in food, culture, in the news,” Kmiotek said. “Ukrainian Americans and Ukrainians that have come here during the war can be found in every chunk of the United States.”

Oleksandr Taran, a Ukrainian American from New York, was also invited to attend the event and accompany Yushchenko around St. Louis. Taran stressed the need for Americans to fight for Ukrainian independence because of this war having larger impacts on the state of democracy in the world.

“It is unacceptable that right now America debates whether to support Ukraine or not, because this is not a foreign policy issue,” Taran said. “If we lose in Europe, we will lose democracy elsewhere.”

Yushchenko emphasized the strength of the Ukrainian people and his faith that Ukraine would defeat Russia in their goal of independence. However, Yushchenko stated that this independence wouldn’t be possible without the aid of Ukraine’s allies. 

“We have 53 nations on our side. They have helped us as much and as quickly as we wanted. Seven countries support Putin,” Yushchenko said. “We will win. With the condition that we will not be indifferent. That we have solidarity. That we are to stand on the side of the right.”