War in Ukraine: In New York, thousands of supporters of Ukraine demand Western intervention

In tears, Tatiana Dyakun, a 38-year-old Ukrainian who says she has lived in the United States for six years, describes the invasion of her country by the Russian armed forces as “crime” and of “terrorism“. “We call for help (…) Do not wait!“, she implores to AFP while saying she is grateful for “the huge supportfrom Western countries.

Should Europe and America intervene in Ukraine? “Yes“, she answers immediately. Even at the risk of a world war?”It’s gonna happen anyway, tomorrow or the day after“, she thinks.

Many of the slogans in New York responded to statements by President Vladimir Putin that any country attempting to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine would be considered a co-belligerent. This claim by Kiev was rejected by NATO and by the American Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, because it would mean “actively fight“Russian forces.

More than one million Ukrainian Americans and Ukrainians live in the United States, most of them in Pennsylvania, New York and Chicago, according to the 2019 census.

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