A group of Russian asylum seekers and other supporters braved the inclement weather Saturday to demonstrate against Russian President Vladimir Putin and call for an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The demonstration took place near the ITC Building intersection in Tamuning and was held in support of an antiwar march in Berlin, Germany, planned to take place the same day.
These demonstrations follow similar antiwar demonstrations that took place in November, and come amid the one-year anniversary of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. His widow, Yulia Navalnaya, organized Saturday’s antiwar rally in Berlin and had urged Russians living outside of Russia to protest on behalf of those inside the country who can’t.
Olga Sigorva, a Russian asylum seeker on Guam and an organizer for Saturday’s demonstration at the ITC intersection, said the messaging remains the same: there are Russians against Putin, and they want just and lasting peace for Ukraine.
Svetlana Rasmussen, a local teacher with dual Russian and American citizenship, said she was taking part in Saturday’s demonstration because she supported Ukrainian independence and liberty, and the restitution of Ukrainian territory taken by Russia.
“I strongly believe the American people should stand with Ukraine, and its demands for restitution for all (its) territory and the restoration of all the losses Ukraine incurred in the war with Russia, the war that Russia started unilaterally, that Vladimir Putin started unilaterally. … The war was started by Russia and Russia needs to be held accountable for it. Vladimir Putin is a military criminal. He needs to be tried in the international court of law, together with his henchmen and everyone who supported and aided the military effort from Russia,” Rasmussen said.
The demonstrations also come after a heated back-and-forth among President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the Oval Office on Friday. Zelenskyy raised alarm during the meeting about trusting promises from Putin to end fighting in Ukraine, resulting in Vance rebuking the Ukrainian leader for airing disagreements with Trump in public, the Associated Press reported. Zelenskyy then grew defensive, and Trump and Vance then blasted Zelenskyy as ungrateful and issued warnings about future U.S. support, the AP added. The tense exchange put on hold an anticipated U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal.
“I was sad to learn that Trump and Zelenskyy couldn’t achieve an agreement,” Sigorva said Saturday through Rasmussen, who was translating.
“Some commenters talked about the beginning of the third world war, and this is really scary. I want people throughout the world to unite against this bloody war. Rallies like ours are going to be held in many cities across Europe and the United States. In Berlin, Yulia Navalnaya is organizing the march for peace in solidarity with Ukraine. I’m happy to play just a little small role and play my part in supporting peace,” Sigorva added.
Val K., another Russian asylum seeker attending Saturday’s demonstration, said only Putin won Friday, adding that dictators should know those who start wars cannot be the ones to dictate the terms of peace. While Val K. said the hope that the war in Ukraine would end quickly were dashed Friday, he also said he believed hope would never die.