CHICAGO () — Dozens of protesters gathered in downtown Chicago on Monday evening, urging the Trump administration to maintain its support for Ukraine as Russian airstrikes intensified and fears mounted over the toll on civilians.
The rally was held outside the Wrigley Building. Participants observed a moment of silence and spoke about relatives and friends who remain in Ukraine.
Several demonstrators said loved ones have continued sending alarming accounts of the attacks.
“It would cost the American people nothing, nothing, except maybe some political capital to let Ukraine defend itself,” said Chicago resident Julian Hayen. “It would not cost American people anything to share intelligence with Ukraine so they can intercept missiles.”
Protesters cited reports of a sharp increase in Russian airstrikes over the past week, including accounts that a 1-year-old child was killed at a playground. The report has fueled international condemnation.
“It’s exhausting for everybody,” said Chicago resident Andrew Benson. “It’s exhausting for us protesters, but we need to get the message out and be able to get as much support as necessary.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv received no advance warning about the missiles launched from Russia that day. He said energy infrastructure was among the main targets, although civilian structures were also hit.
The strikes came as Ukrainian officials and supporters questioned whether U.S. backing might be weakening. Those concerns include reports of restricted intelligence sharing and uncertainty over Ukraine’s access to Starlink and Starshield technology, both important to the country’s satellite operations.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that access to the technology had been limited.
“There’s been no pause from the United States, but again, what he should be focused on, and what we want to be focused on, is bringing an end to this war,” Rubio said.
Some demonstrators with relatives in Ukraine said they felt the Trump administration was effectively leaving the country to fend for itself.
“U.S. has always been on the side of freedom and independence,” said Zoryana Smozhanyka, a U.S. Army veteran. “We have fought for our independence here in the U.S. and I as an American veteran can attest to that. It’s absolutely insane to me that we are now fighting on the side of Russia.”
President Donald Trump disputed that assessment, arguing that the United States has already delivered substantial assistance to Ukraine.
“Russia, frankly, has been fine on Ukraine, they haven’t been doing much,” Trump told reporters Monday on the White House South Lawn. He added, “We’ve given a lot to Ukraine, they’ve given us nothing.”
Reports surfaced Monday of a possible meeting in the coming days focused on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Ukraine, however, did not appear likely to be included in the talks.
