In light of recent discussions concerning a widening partisan gap within the voting Ukrainian American community in the United States, I would like to review Ukrainian voting habits in the last century, then offer my commentary on why those habits are now terribly outdated. 

It is well recognized that Ukrainians have overwhelmingly voted Republican since the genesis of the Cold War. 

Prior to World War II, however, Ukrainians voted Democrat because the party voiced support for the liberation of Central and Eastern European states as the Austro-Hungarian empire was falling apart. Then-President Woodrow Wilson created the organization of Oppressed Nationalities of Central Europe in 1918, and this won him the Ukrainian ethnic vote. 

As Ukrainians were predominantly blue-collar workers, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal– the progressive economic relief program put in place during the Great Depression– was also largely supported.

However, the end of the war witnessed a flood of immigrants and displaced persons that were hyper-aware of the U.S.’s actions concerning Eastern Europe (particularly Roosevelt’s behavior during the Yalta conference, when he graciously left Joseph Stalin to his “sphere of influence” without much pushback), dwindling Democratic support. 

President Dwight D. Eisenhower, cleverly capitalizing off of that sentiment, made a point to show solidarity with countries under authoritarian rule during the 1952 election. In 1953, he turned that attitude into policy, declaring Captive Nations Week in 1953 as a resolution and then signing it into law in 1959. This move was meant to demonstrate a lack of support on the Democratic front for the ethnic groups affected, Ukrainians included.

Support for the GOP was now solidified at this point. Despite a few questionable moments — such as during a 1976 presidential debate when Republican candidate Gerald Ford stated that “there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe”– support for the Republican approach to containment and détente was reflected by Ukrainians at the polls. 

Fast forward to President Barack Obama, who despite his claims in support of the Ukrainian struggle, did little in terms of policy and action to be of any help. The stage was set for Donald J. Trump. 

Today, it has been clear that President Donald J. Trump will not act in the best interests of Ukraine since he announced his candidacy. I believe that this prophecy has held true, both in his policies and in the values championed by the Ukrainian diaspora. 

Let’s again recall President Gerald R. Ford’s problematic moment during the 1976 presidential debates.

Many, many parallels can be drawn to Trump, just from that one sentence. 

In a July 31, 2016 interview with Geroge Stephanopoulos, Trump said everything he needed to say about his attitude toward Ukraine. When asked why his party and team softened their platform on Russia and decided to take away sending necessary weapons to Ukraine, Trump said, “They softened it, I heard, but I was not involved.” He assured  Stephanopoulos that he would prevent Vladimir Putin from touching Ukraine. 

This interview was in 2016, over two years after the annexation.  “I’m going to take a look at it. But, you know, the people of Crimea, from what I’ve heard, would rather be with Russia than where they were,” he said in response.

The nationalism that overtook Crimea is in many ways mirrored by Trump in the United States. It is no coincidence that the leader of America’s greatest historical enemy supports this candidate. So much so that Putin meddled in our elections to elect him in 2016 and is doing so once again. How is this not concerning to the Ukrainian-American voter?

It is no question that Obama’s response to the annexation was weak. He significantly underestimated the Russian threat before and even after the invasion.

But voting for Joseph Biden in November is not a justification for Obama’s actions. It’s the beginning of the reversal of Trump’s. 

It’s a vote for reinstating international respect to a country that has been in global news for all the wrong, humiliating reasons in the last year. 

America, a long time supporter of Ukraine, will not be of any help if the international community no longer respects the US. And as much as Trump denies this, we need respect to continue to have leverage on the international stage and enforce the pro-Ukrainian policy. 

I understand that those that have lived in the U.S. through the Cold War have difficulty disassociating from a party they have stood by for years (and believe the party has stood by them). But real harm comes from choosing a candidate that is no longer hard on the Kremlin but instead appeases its ringleader. In this way, the president directly supports the exploitation and violation of Ukrainian freedom, by politicizing human rights and territorial sovereignty. 

The platform of “America First” is largely enforced by significant cuts to foreign aid programs. Ukraine is certainly on the list. 

Putting the impeachment aside (because if that alone won’t convince a Ukrainian not to vote for Trump, nothing will), the administration continues to try to significantly cut aid to Ukraine. In both 2019 and 2020, Trump and his team proposed that the aid sent to Ukraine be cut from $30 million to $13 million. Congress blocked this move. Congress is the reason Ukraine is getting the vital aid she needs, no thanks to the administration. 

Aid to Ukraine also comes through other funds, for example, those targeting specifically anti-corruption and economic development initiatives. Trump has laid his hands on those too, attempting to cut every foreign aid.

And while U.S. imperialistic behavior is a serious conversation to be had, in the case of the Eastern European bloc, the U.S. retreating in influence only leaves room for Russia to fill the power vacuum. 

And thanks to Obama’s weakness, and now Trump’s blatant support, Putin has been successfully doing just that. 

Having a good relationship with Russia is one thing, but softening America’s stance on Russia directly hurts American interests. 

Yet, even for those far removed from policy affecting their homeland, Trump’s demeanor and actions domestically should strike a red flag. Especially for those that are first-generation, that know all too well the horrors of authoritarianism and censorship and state negligence first hand, you are supporting a regime that is oppressing people in an eerily similar way to where so many of us have fled from. Even worse, many of these actions are not affecting our community directly, so we think it’s okay to just look the other way.

You can, in no way, support Ukrainian independence and benefit from being an immigrant without also supporting the rights of minorities, international cooperation, and being against the tightening of immigration policy.

Immigrants are fleeing conditions many left Ukraine for (but often to a far more extreme extent): poverty, corruption, lack of opportunity, and for some of us, the lack of freedom to exercise our religion, sexuality, or simply being from a certain ethnic background. It is incredibly contradictory to support immigration for those ideals only when it applies to yourself, and sabotage all those trying to follow in our footsteps. 

Many of us survivors, children, and grandchildren of the Holodomor and Nazi persecution, cannot sit idly by while a country that, above all, claims to celebrate freedom is locking up hopeful immigrants and asylum seeks at the border in cages.

The hypocrisy comes from using the system for a better life, then closing the door behind us for everyone else. 

I am wholeheartedly aware of the frustration with Biden. As a young person that believes only in drastic systematic upheaval to positively serve my future and that of my children, I do not see the change I believe this country needs with Biden. However, the window for opportunity for change has closed. It will only open again when the mess the president has created will be reversed (some of it, possibly irreversible). In Biden, I see someone who is willing and experienced enough to do that very thing. 

As Ukrainians, our lives are directly affected by every single pro-Russian decision made. It is astounding how many of us have quickly forgotten this amidst the wave of nationalism and bigotry falsely promising change that has plagued this country.

We have no control over Putin’s thoughts or actions, and for many of us, even President Volodymyr Zelensky’s. But the privilege of voting for the United States president is one that will have a tremendous weight on the country (or, more accurately, both countries) that we care about.