'All we want is peace' says Ukrainian native in Offaly

A member of the Ukrainian community in Offaly has spoken of her “devastation” at the withdrawal of United States support for Ukraine after a meeting between the leaders of both countries in the White House last week descended into chaos.

Yaroslava Bezzabava, who came to Ireland from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as a war refugee in October 2022, said “Ukraine would be destroyed if it wasn't for American support,” and she firmly believes that US President Donald Trump “does not speak for ordinary Americans”.

The young Ukrainian woman, who is now working full-time in Lidl in Tullamore, said she and her fellow countrymen and woman were “disgusted” at the way in which President Volodymyr Zelensky was treated by President Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office last Friday.

“It was like two bullies invited our President to talks to humiliate him,” she said, adding that it was “disgusting to watch”.

Yaroslava came to Ireland alone, leaving her parents, grandmother, extended family and friends behind in Kyiv, and she admits she fears for their safely “all the time” but particularly in recent days as Russia has “stepped up” its attacks on Ukraine.

“I tried to get my Mam to come to Ireland, but she takes care of my grandma, who is 83 years old, and my grandma does not want to leave Ukraine,” says Yaroslava.

Over the past three years, Yaroslava says many of her friends have lost “sons, brothers and fathers” in the war, and she says Russia “has to be punished” for invading Ukraine.

“We have a beautiful country and we were living a wonderful life before the war,” she points out, “and we did not want to fight with any of our neighbours.”

“We were invaded by Russia, and now they want to keep all the Ukrainian territory they have confiscated, and that cannot happen.”

Like her fellow Ukrainians, Yaroslava says there can be no peace in her native country “without Ukrainian involvement in peace talks” and she is hopeful that the continued support of Europe will result in peace talks getting underway soon.

However, she adds that nobody in Ukraine expects Russia to “keep its word” in any peace agreement, based on past experience. “(The Russian authorities) cannot be trusted,” she says.

Having been welcomed with open arms in Ireland, the young Ukrainian woman says all the war refugees from her country who have sought refuge in Ireland and all across Europe are “extremely grateful” for the ongoing support from their European neighbours for an end to the war in Ukraine.

She says the majority of people in Ukraine are “supportive” of the stance adopted by President Zelensky. “He has done everything right,” she says, “which is why it was so devastating and disgusting to watch the way he was treated in the White House last week”.

She feels Europe, including Ireland, must keep the pressure on Russia by imposing further sanctions and by continuing to work for peace.

“I don't know what is going to happen in the future, I am not a politician, but for now all we are hoping for is peace,” she says.