Ukrainians in Chicago apprehensive about Trump administration's negotiations to end war with Russia
CHICAGO (CBS) -- As the war in Ukraine continues, uncertainty grows back in the U.S. and specifically in Chicago.
Thousands of Ukrainian Americans, and Ukrainian refugees living in Chicago, are waiting to see what President Trump might do next.
The consensus being voiced was not that Ukrainian Americans don't want peace in the region — they do. But they do not want to accept a deal that means they must compromise their borders.
"It's not only land and territory that's at stake, but history and culture and identity," said Zachary Dmyterko, executive director of Chicago's Ukrainian National Museum.
The museum, at 2249 W. Superior St. in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood, showcases more than 70 years of the Ukrainian experience in Chicago.
"Ukraine is us here in Chicago," said Dmyterko. "We have a huge Ukrainian community here in Chicago that spans back generations."
Now almost three years into a devastating war with Russia, Ukrainian Americans wait for news about the country's next chapter.
"You know, there is a sense of hope that our president will make a wise decision," said Dr. Yehven Pavelko.
Pavelko is a surgeon largely involved in helping Ukrainian soldiers receive medical care and supplies.
"Everyone in the Ukrainian community will agree with me that in our eyes, justice is when Russia retrieves their troops to internationally-recognized borders of Ukraine, and signs a promise, at least, as a guarantee that they will never repeat that again," he said.
President Trump announced this week that he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin about ending the war in Ukraine "immediately." Mr. Trump said he had a separate conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who later posted to X, "Together with the U.S., we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace."
In Chicago, Ukrainian Americans said they are wary of claims that the deal will usher in lasting peace — especially after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments.
On Wednesday, Hegseth said that a return to its pre-2014 borders — before Russia's first invasion resulting in the annexation of Crimea — was not a realistic goal for any negotiated settlement. He reiterated that point Thursday.
"Simply pointing out realism like the borders won't be rolled back to what everybody would like them to be in 2014 is not a concession to Vladimir Putin," Hegseth said. "It's a recognition of the hard power realities on the ground after a lot of investment and sacrifice."
Hegseth this week also ruled out Ukraine's possible membership in NATO.
"I want to be clear about something as it pertains to NATO membership not being a realistic outcome for negotiations," Hegseth said Thursday at the NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in Brussels.
A day earlier, Hegseth had said it was "unrealistic" for Ukraine to expect NATO membership in any peace deal.
"Ukraine needs security guarantees, as history has shown, that ensure that it will have an enduring peace and stable borders," said Dmyterko.
In Chicago, Ukrainians recall the 1994 Budapest Memorandum — in which President Bill Clinton, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, and British Prime Minster John Major signed an agreement to respect the borders of Ukraine and ensure the country's security in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nuclear weapons. Ukrainians in Chicago see the memorandum as another reason for the U.S. to feel responsible for Ukraine's borders.
"The United States were always a free country, right? Fight for democracy, for independence," said Pavelko. That's what Ukraine is fighting for."
President Trump has said he and President Putin would likely meet to talk in Saudi Arabia. He later added President Zelenskyy would also be there.
It was not known late Thursday when that meeting would take place.
