Milwaukeeans with strong ties to Ukraine say they’re closely watching the U.S. presidential election, hoping the next president will continue help for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
As WUWM found at an event in Bay View last Saturday, the borshch looked and smelled wonderful as several pots of the Eastern European soup sat simmering on a serving table at Puddler’s Hall. About 15 cooks were taking part in a "borshch-off" competition at an annual fundraiser to raise humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
One of the cooks, Ulana Tyshynsky, says beets are an essential ingredient of borshch. Beyond that, she jokes there can be a lot of variety: “There is a saying that says there are as many recipes for borshch as there are Ukrainian women.”
A lighthearted moment in what has been a stressful two and a half years for people with family and friends in Ukraine, and worried about the Russian invasion of their beloved country.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the Biden-Harris administration and Congress have responded with $70 billion in weapons, equipment and other military support for the government of Ukraine. A large share of that money is spent at U.S. weapons factories. Another $33 billion has gone to Ukraine for humanitarian aid.
But President Joe Biden is leaving office in a couple of months, and the contest to replace him, between Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R), has some Ukrainian-Americans casting their vote based on who they think is more likely to keep supporting Ukraine.
Viner Gazizullin lost his home, job, friends—even the cemetery of his parents—during the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine. He’s just become a U.S. citizen. The Cudahy resident says he’ll cast his first U.S. presidential ballot for Democrat Harris, "Because Harris, Kamala Harris, promises to support Ukrainian in fight with Russia."
For others, one generation removed from Ukraine, the Democrat’s promise to support continued military aid is one of the reasons they back Harris.
Bay View resident George Tyshynsky says his parents came to the U.S. from Ukraine in 1949. He says his cousin is a doctor in Ukraine, brought out of retirement to treat non-life-threatening war wounds suffered by Ukrainian soldiers.
Tyshynsky mentions another Harris promise: “She believes in democracy. And in Eastern Europe, I think Vladimir Putin is a dictator and he is imposing his will on a sovereign country. I hope and I pray that Ukraine will maintain its sovereignty.”
Earlier this month in Dodge County, Donald Trump repeated one of his frequent promises on how he would deal with current international conflicts.
“I will settle the war in Ukraine. I will end the chaos in the Middle East and I will prevent World War Three. I’m going to prevent...,” his voice fading among cheers.
Trump has often promised to end the Ukraine-Russia war before he would take office in January.
The borshch cook, Ulana Tyshynsky, says she believes Trump, as a deal-maker, would let Russia keep the territory it has taken from Ukraine.
“When I hear him say that, I know he’s just going to give Ukraine on a platter to Putin. He’s a puppet of Putin, and whatever Putin wants, Trump is going to give him,” she says.
Tyshynsky says she even fears that if Trump is surrounded by aides who obey his every word, little will be left of Ukraine except its resilience and its culture.
