A group of people rallied at Balboa Park on Saturday to call for the U.S. to resume its support to Ukraine. The Trump administration cut intelligence and military aid to Ukraine after the diplomatic meltdown in the Oval Office with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy last week.
Protestors told NBC 7 that U.S. support is not only crucial for Ukraine to win the war and save the lives of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, but also because American National security depends on it.
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WATCH HERE“Support Ukraine, support freedom,” dozens said, as they held a large Ukrainian flag and walked down Balboa Park to join in solidarity with Ukraine. “Stand with Ukraine,” they said.
Mira Ruben is the president of Shield for Freedom, a non-profit that supports the frontlines of Ukraine, the country where she grew up and many of her loved ones still live.
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SIGN UP She’s been organizing this rally every weekend for the past three years, since the war between Ukraine and Russia started. After hearing about Russia’s latest aerial attacks on Ukraine that killed at least 20 people, Mira was determined to use her voice to raise awareness.
“My Ukrainian identity really woke up with this war and this injustice and I’ve really been wanting to help Ukraine to get through this,” Ruben said.
The most recent deadly attacks happened after the Trump administration decided to stop sharing satellite images, intelligence, and military aid with Ukraine.
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The U.S. decision to halt its support to Ukraine follows a tumultuous visit between President Trump and President Zelenskyy at the White House.
“Having that intelligence saves civilian lives,” a speaker at the rally said.
Mira said U.S. intelligence helps to alert her family and friends in Ukraine to take cover in a bomb shelter. She said losing that support from its once biggest ally, significantly reduces Ukraine’s chances of winning the war.
“By stopping the flow of munition, by turning off intelligence, they’re just helping Russians to kill more Ukrainians and how is this fair? I’m worried about my family, I’m worried about my friends,” Ruben said.
Organizers passed out fliers encouraging people to reach out to their representatives and ask them to put pressure on the Trump administration to reinstate the intelligence and military support to Ukraine.
“It’s on its path to become a beautiful European country. It wants to be aligned with western Europe and Russia does not let Ukraine go and now our strongest ally is turning away from Ukraine. It just breaks my heart," Ruben said.
But she remains hopeful the U.S. will reverse its course. “The United States is a beacon of hope for this world and for the free countries and the free democracies,” she said.
The group will meet again on Sunday at Balboa Park from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
