In anticipation of the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion, a march was organized by Ukrainian activists in London on Saturday, Feb. 22. After gathering around the Statue of St Volodymyr, a diverse group set off – stopping traffic across the affluent Notting Hill district – before directly confronting the Russian Embassy with their protest.
It was a huge privilege for me to join everyone on this route, capturing some images while listening to what London’s Ukrainians and Ukrainian Londoners had to say.
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“Stop Russia! Stop the War!”, we chant. “Stop Russia! Stop the War!”
There was a turnout of thousands; a sea of blue and yellow brightening an otherwise grey London day. There were whole Ukrainian families and their dogs walking alongside groups of Ukrainian youths, the latter often coordinating such events. Amidst a diverse spectrum, Lithuanian and Polish flags could often be seen. Most importantly there were British citizens of all ages – symbolic of the support that the UK may or may not wish to commit to Ukraine.
Europe Inches Towards Ukraine Peace Plan, but Still Relying on US
A British family literally stands with Ukraine - opposite the Russian Embassy
With events moving so swiftly this week, there is nervous hesitation ahead of Prime Minister Starmer’s meeting with President Trump on Thursday. Many Brits continue to show solidarity with Ukraine and hold hopes for a positive outcome to the war at some point. But it remains unclear whether they are comfortable to raise the defense budget amidst an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, and the aftermath of Brexit.
As one placard declared “Occupation is not Peace!” We hope for such clarity in any influence that the United Kingdom might have. Now might be the time to revisit Boris “Johnsonyuk’s” Churchillian spirit of supporting liberty as a matter of principle. Sir Keir Starmer might show some leadership yet.
What does Peace look like?
What seems obvious to many of us, needs to be spelled out for our political leaders. Russia cannot be expected to offer peace. Ukraine’s future must be decided by Ukrainians. European unity is what could save Ukraine. With recent German elections, let’s see how they cooperate with France and the UK. Will we follow Zelenskyy’s suggestion of setting up a European Army? Perhaps the UK might even consider (re)joining some form of European Union, someday ...
The right people at the right table
How do London’s Ukrainians feel?
Vika & Maryna by St Volodymyr’s statue
Maryna and Vika arrived early to the protest and are the first Ukrainians I speak to. Maryna has mixed feelings: “Three years feels like an eternity”, she says. “It’s so wild that we cannot even move towards some kind of peace that Ukraine would like to have. Somehow, we now need to negotiate what our enemy wants. That’s ridiculous.”
Vika agrees: “Yeah, ridiculous that we still have to keep coming out to these protests and rallies to keep asking for the same thing: for peace on Ukraine’s terms, for de-occupation, for accountability for all the war crimes. It’s almost like all the murder and all the torture that Russia is committing are being swept under the rug.”
“It’s not just our war”, Maryna continues. “Trying to somehow separate yourself from it won’t help you in the long run. While defending Ukrainian sovereignty and our borders, simultaneously we are trying to defend Europe and its borders - and democracy as a whole.” She feels really disappointed that the urgent battle against Russian propaganda has now grown into a battle against American propaganda too. “We must keep repeating that we did not start this war. Keep repeating the truth.”
Vika finds it despicable that there are world leaders who still think the US should lead the peace process, but she hopes that Americans themselves will call out the false truths.
“Trump is destabilizing his own party – since there was always some opposition, just not loud enough. Meanwhile it is time for Europe to realize that it does have great power. We have more hope in Europe than in NATO, as we are not in NATO just yet!”
She still finds it is pretty dystopian, though, and getting worse: “I cried yesterday. Trump’s speeches mean nothing, but they still impact you.” Words obviously matter.
Member of Parliament & former shadow chancellor John McDonnell delivering a passionate speech
We are interrupted by a series of speeches beneath St Volodymyr, including a passionate delivery by UK Member of Parliament for Labour and former shadow chancellor, John McDonnell. Having reminded us that London was once considered a grand Russian laundromat, he goes on to pay tribute to the heroes and heroines of Ukraine who have been resisting the full-scale invasion over the last three years.
“We are on the edge of Ukrainian people being sold out by Trump and other world leaders, if we don’t stand firm in solidarity,” he declares. “We will not allow the Russians to make a deal with Trump which imposes – not a peace settlement – [but] occupation of Ukrainian territory. We will not stand silent when Trump seems to rob Ukraine of its natural assets.”
I am reminded how this last point may be a larger driving factor for Trump than he cares to admit – the art of the deal?
McDonnell said all the right words at exactly the right time. I just pray that this MP from the same party as the Starmer will follow through with the leadership that he promises so ardently when rallying the crowd: “And so our call today in this city, in this country, is to the government now. Stand firm with the Ukrainian people. There can be no peace without the agreement of the Ukrainians themselves. No peace imposed by Trump or Putin... The UK will never sell out the Ukrainian people. Slava Ukraini.”
Heroyam Slava.
Dariya, founder of the Hromada Collective, holds a loudspeaker opposite the Russian Embassy
Soon after, a striking group of young people in the insurgent colors of red and black form a circle and begin singing. This is the Hromada Collective, though what sounds like traditionally soothing folk chants from a distance is actually a rich and sophisticated piece of performance art called “There are No Bridges.”
The words were taken verbatim from utterances on Feb. 25, 2022, as documented in the “zine Telegrams” by another artist, Xenia. Telegram #11 registers a real conversation between the towns of Bucha & Cherkassy.
When listening to the haunting vocals, I was entirely unaware that phrases such as “Hiding inside”, “It’ll be even scarier when dark” or “Kyiv doesn’t exist for Bucha anymore” were being sung. I can only imagine how poignant and powerful this must have sounded to the Ukrainian speakers in the crowd, especially to those – like most members of Hromada - who were in Ukraine at the start of the full-scale invasion and still remember such conversations.
Trained folk singer and founder, Dariya, then led her collective – and the protest march itself – through the streets of London towards the Russian Embassy [as captured in the very first image].
She told me that seeing such a huge turnout with people from such diverse backgrounds gave her a feeling of solidarity that was usually rather hard to grasp from everyday London life. This was her first time helping to organise a protest, saying that she could not have known how many people would show up, nor who exactly they might be. Regarding the performance she says: “It was a privilege to work with my community on something so precious, and then to share it with such a large crowd. We had been preparing this for the last two months.”
As for the current state of affairs, “I am feeling very calm”, Dariya explains, “because I feel grateful in my anger. None of us are free until all of us are free and there should be no negotiations about Ukraine without Ukraine. Imperium delenda est!” There are no further comments on the Trump administration, though Dariya adds “Everything we thought would be happening is happening – but probably a bit faster than expected.”
Blue & Yellow, Red & Black
Mariia joins the march in red and black
I also had the pleasure of talking to Mariia, the founder of Vsesvit, a London-based Ukraine Solidarity Collective – another key organization involved in today’s speeches and protest. Born in Kherson, she grew up and lived in Kyiv until 2016 –she had direct experience of participating in Euromaidan before witnessing the annexation of Crimea and the invasion of Donbas, from Kyiv.
“We called the rally on Saturday to oppose the ridiculous narrative now picked up by Trump that Ukraine is somehow guilty of this war,” Mariia explains. “I find arguments of the sort ‘Give Putin what he wants to end the war’ plain ignorant. Prior to the full-scale invasion, Russia had already occupied nearly 27% of Ukraine’s territory. Crimea and Donbas happened with minimal consequences for Russia. Now, 11 years later, we see that some have learned nothing!”
We also talked about how the protest ended. Mariia had been in conversation with the Metropolitan Police for months – but even so, and despite following the protocol to the letter, she was a little surprised with how quickly events wrapped up. It was certainly a fact that more people showed up than had been anticipated – which may have caught the Police by surprise.
I personally heard officers improvising out loud regarding which side-streets to direct protesters onto instead, as if there was not a clear plan in advance, on their side. “Well, at least nobody got arrested!” we half-joked – a delicate point to make if recent pro-Palestinian protests in Central London are anything to go by...
Gena with his car; his father Volodymyr with his military badges...
As the rally approached the Russian Embassy, I came across a man standing on his car. A frustrated driver, perhaps, cut off by the unexpected road blockade? Turns out it was Gena – a Ukrainian from Poltava – upon the vehicle he had specifically created for activism. Whether driving into town past waving bystanders or giving hitchhikers a lift in France, the act of driving itself can raise awareness – hence the words ‘Ukraine Support’ in (rear-view) mirror writing. ‘VolonterMobil’, as he calls this car, is Gena’s own protest sign!
“I am generally very angry from the latest news,” he says. “Not that I expected much from Trump, but it is super-disappointing. Devastating, really. But today’s event gives me hope, as I see so many people, not just Ukrainians. It fills us up with hope that we are not alone.” Gena has sometimes felt forgotten, as the full-scale invasion dropped down in media attention since 2022.
“It’s a hot topic again now, though”, he observes. “People understand better what is going on and maybe they realize that they may need to get involved soon. Like if Britain sends troops. Maybe there will even be conscription, as the UK army is very small.” Our conversation drifts towards that terrible prime minister, but top Churchill fan, Johnsonyuk himself. I note that the average Brit might be hesitant to rush over to fight in Ukraine, unless Boris could somehow use his charm to market signing up as “the British thing to do in our Darkest Hour.”
We agree that if the USA indeed abandons Ukraine, then help must be sought from Europe. Gena felt Zelenskyy was let down by Biden’s government: “The conclusion is what? The Americans did not want Ukraine to win, nor did they want Russia to fail. If there was huge chaos it would be very difficult to manage all the nukes. So many people were killed because the Americans were indecisive, their strategy wasn’t about creating peace.” I am reminded of delayed F-16 jets...
Meanwhile an old man with row after row of military badges appears. This is actually Volodymyr, the father Gena evacuated from Poltava in 2022.
“Batalyon, batalyon!” he suggests, with a sparkle in his eye, wanting to sell me a badge to raise funds for Ukraine’s defenders. And while Gena works by day in fintech, he also actively fundraises whenever free, collecting between £500-£1000 per month (of which a large part is his own personal contribution). This helps soldiers to replace uniform, drones or whatever is required. Our conversation is interrupted as Volodymyr requests a selfie.
Sasha and her Vinok
With my attention drawn to her stunning floral vinok, I politely ask if Sasha might pose for yet another photographer. I soon learn that while she has been here for over 12 years now, her family remains in Kherson – a tricky situation in one of the cities that has suffered almost relentless attack. Thankfully, they are ok, though Sasha reminds me that a mother of young twins died there recently in a drone hit.
“It is really hard to see the injustice in the news; what is being said about Ukraine provoking... It’s hard to read,” she admits. “But as Ukrainians we maintain optimism, right? I think the main thing is that Trump, and those who side with him, do not understand that we will never give up. We will fight no matter what, even if it will become much harder.”
We both agree on how disturbing it to see Trump really siding with Putin, e.g. not recognizing him as a war criminal. “As much as we are emotional right now, we need to find a balanced approach to make USA see what is at stake,” Sasha explains. “Otherwise, Europe has to take America’s place, increase military spending and really understand that this is an immediate priority. I am a British citizen now, with a young son whom I don’t want to fight in WWIII, in 10 years’ time! Stand with Ukraine now, as it could be too late in the future.”
Oksana’s sunflower symbolises the resilience and the struggles of Ukrainians
I was lucky to catch Oksana with her sunflower in a burst of sunlight, fitting for someone who arrived in London as a refugee in 2022, but had never intended to leave Ukraine. Having study journalism and then law in Lviv, Oksana had enjoyed a 17-year career in marketing.
Despite literally radiating sunshine, Oksana admits she feels very sad. She points out that it is not just Ukraine’s war. “Tomorrow it will be a different country”, she says. “I don’t support Trump’s words, but I know why it is happening. Both Russia and the USA are very interested in our natural resources. More so if Trump collaborates with Musk to have reserves for technology. And for them personally.”
Oksana also mentions that Ukraine is a very important country globally with regard to certain exports, such as wheat or fertilizer. She would like countries to respect this and remember this in the good times – not only when they are forced to by war-driven inflation.
Sasha & Kasha!
I enjoyed a final conversation with rhyming UCL double-act, Sasha & Kasia from the School of Slavonic & East European Studies. They were even kind enough to invite me to a special event at college this week to reconnect with Superhumans, whom I know very well from Lviv. I asked for their views on recent events.
“It feels very chaotic at the moment. This week we’ve seen a lot of news coming from overseas, from the US. It feels very uncertain,” Sasha comments. “American people stand with us, but we cannot say the same about the administration unfortunately. That really upsets us.” But ever full of optimism, Sasha insists that there is plentiful protest occurring in the US as we speak, and that this is something we should look out for. “Hope is the last thing to die.”
From a Polish perspective, Kasia feels that – despite misunderstandings over grain and an apparent spectrum of public opinion – Poland does stand with Ukraine by default. “There has been a lot of Russian meddling in Polish media of late, as confirmed by my UCL professor Andrew Wilson, the world authority on Russian disinformation. This tries to divide us”, she explains. “But when you have a history of persecution in Poland, we prefer not to trust Russia. I have relatives who did not survive the Warsaw Uprising – where the Soviets chose to ignore rather than to assist.”
I hope this remains true. Poland and the Baltic States have been so helpful to Ukraine since 2022, as I am reminded every time I pass through Przemyśl. As I told a gathering of Lithuanian flags, I believe Vilnius or Tallinn may well lead the charge on a united European front, if Sir Keir Starmer turns out to be too shy.
That blue tit is a fighter
Olga remains hopeful in an emotional protest outside the Russian Embassy. Thank you for having the courage to share your story Olga
Sveta’s solution is given nuclear nostalgia, in the sunshine
Soft Power
As for trending memes, we are protected by this little fella: #NAFO
Though humor will always be Ukraine’s secret weapon...
Touching moments
In St Volodymyr’s shield we trust
With special thanks to @CampaignforUkraine, @Ukraine_Solidarity_Campaign & @Vsesvit.uk for their activism in organising this protest, and to @Hromada_Collective for their thoughtful and moving performance.
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