Ukrainian about Trump: « Obviously now that he's with Putin »

At a McDonald's in central Kyiv, colleagues and friends Vita Mazur and Anastasia Andreeva. They are in the event industry and will soon be out on the town and advertise a customer.

But the two girlfriends don't talk jobs this Saturday morning.

« It is obvious now that Trump is on Putin's side, » says 27-year-old Anastasia Andrejeva.

White Mazur nods. She believes that the Russian president has bought Trump's loyalty with « something expensive ».

– It is clear that what happened makes Putin stronger. We have to fight even more for ourselves now, says Vita Mazur.

« What happened » refers to Friday's meeting in the White House. Like millions of Ukrainians, Vita and Anastasia saw their president verbally be attacked by US President Donald Trump and his gunman, Vice President JD Vance.

– I'm so proud of Zelenskyj. He shows us Ukrainians how to act on the international stage. With dignity, says Anastasia Andrejeva.

The scenes in Washington Before rolling cameras were brutal and many Ukrainians had difficulty taking them in. Donald Trump's last, threatening words to Zelenskyj read:

– Either do you make one Dealor we're out of the picture. And if we disappear, you can fight (on your own). I don't think it will be beautiful.

Ukraine's president had brought printed photos on excessive prisoners of war to the White House. Zelenskyj tried to get the conversation about the reality of the war, with hundreds of thousands of dead and wounded soldiers.

But Trump didn't think Zelenskyj was grateful enough:

– You don't behave gratefully. And that's not nice, Trump said.

Vita Mazur and Anastasia Andrejeva had hoped more from Donald Trump.

– Now we have to look clearly and soberly at the situation, says Vita Mazur.

Just a few weeks ago, many Ukrainians believed that Donald Trump in the White House would be a positive change compared to US former president.

Admittedly, the United States has During Joe Biden, Ukraine's most important allies were, and supported the country with over $ 100 billion in money and weapons. Yet the Russian forces for two years have slowly but relentlessly advanced. Every month, new Ukrainian villages have ended up under Russian occupation.

Many Ukrainians have felt abandoned. Joe Biden and NATO could have been able to change the dynamics of war in Ukraine's favor, many, if they had only increased their support. Not until his last weeks as president allowed Joe Biden Ukraine to use US long -distance weapons towards goals deep in Russia.

Ukrainian's hopes for Donald Trump were that he – who boasts his skill as a negotiator – would break the deadlock, put pressure on Russia and give Ukraine a stronger position for future peace negotiations.

Now the hopes have become ash.

Researcher Marija Tystjenko sounds desperate. She lived until recently in Sweden and is an honorary doctor at Malmö University. In Ukraine, she is the head of a relief organization, Porutj.

– Why is Trump not talking to Putin in the same way as Zelenskyj? she wonders.

Last Friday, Trump again showed solidarity with dictator Putin. They both « went through a hell of a hell together » in 2016, Trump said, when his presidential campaign was suspected of Russian involvement.

It's a discussion which feels distant II Ukraine in 2025, where the Russian military continues to attack cities. In Kyiv, the wing alarm thundered just a few hours after Zeleskkyj was thrown out of the White House. 103 Russian attack drones were shot down by Ukraine's air defense during the night.

– Russia is charging for new attacks tomorrow. Three years of this, without break, without rest, says Maria Tystjenko.

Friday's White House discharge was in many ways logical. In recent weeks, Trump has called the elected Zelenskyj for dictator and said it was Ukraine who started the war. JD Vance has said he doesn't care about how things are going for Ukraine.

– Vance created this. His Maga people planned for sure, says Maria Tystjenko.

At McDonald's, Vita Mazur and Anastasia Andrejeva rise, they have to work. When I take a picture, they first pose at the McDonald's sign. But then they realize:

– It's American!

Maybe McDonald's boycotted, the girlfriends think.

– We take the picture here instead.

They stand in front of a large banner at Kiev's city hall that praises the soldiers who defended the steel plant Azov speech in Mariupol, today under Russian occupation.

Vita Mazur says that her husband is a soldier on the eastern front at Kupjansk, which Russian invasion forces transformed into a torn ghost town. Kupjansk was under Russian occupation for seven months 2022.

Now the Russian troops are again approaching.

What does your husband from the Kupjan front tell?

– Nothing, almost. It's too nasty to talk about, says White Mazur.