Ukraine supporters rally at Minnesota Capitol amid news of US prisoner release, possible negotiations

A small group of demonstrators rallied on the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul Wednesday morning to show their support of Ukraine amid its yearslong war with Russia.

Demonstrators were joined by members of the Ukrainian American Community Center, who say this support means everything to them.

The rally comes amid news early Wednesday that Russia freed Stephen Hubbard, a U.S. citizen who had been in jail for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. 

Also early Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to resume three-way negotiations with Ukraine and the U.S. aimed at ending the war.

Rally participants WCCO spoke with Wednesday say they're cautiously optimistic that all of this news could mean things are trending in the direction of peace.

"So many people are hurt, killed, families destroyed, cities," said Iryna Petrus, with the Ukrainian American Community Center. "And it's not about infrastructure, it's not about industry, but it's humanity. It comes very deeply."

Petrus spends her days in constant communication with family and friends overseas. She was joined Wednesday by Wendy Morris, who spent the summer delivering vehicles from Scotland to Ukraine to be used to evacuate people.

Petrus says for her, the end of war means one thing: hope.

"We are divided by language, by nation, but we are not divided in our hearts if we truly understand why we are here on this earth," she said.