Protests and peace talks mark third anniversary of the war in Ukraine

Today marks the third anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. More than 500 Ukrainians and supporters gathered this weekend in Downtown Seattle to show solidarity and share their fears about Ukraine’s future. The third anniversary of the war comes as President Donald Trump has mused over upending America’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense. U.S and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia last week for bilateral talks, including discussion of the future of Ukraine. Notably absent at the table – anyone from Ukraine. Trump also falsely said last week that Ukraine started the war – which began with Russia’s invasion.   And in a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Ukraine's President, Volodomir Zelenskyy, of being a “dictator without elections” - writing, “Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.” The dramatic shift in rhetoric from the U.S. has left European leaders and Ukranians scrambling to understand what will happen next. Guests: KUOW producer Natalie Akane Newcomb Dr. Lena Surzhko Harned, an associate teaching professor of Political Science at Pennsylvania State University. She is also the associate director and a faculty affiliate of the Public Policy Initiative at Penn State Behrend. Related links: In pushing for Ukraine elections, Trump is falling into Putin-laid trap to delegitimize Zelenskyy - The Conversation Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/soundsidenotes Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.