Atlanta’s Ukrainian-American community is closely watching Washington this week after the White House confirmed that envoys for President Donald Trump have discussed “next steps” for ending the war in Ukraine directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The talks, first reported by The Guardian, come without any public indication that Ukrainian officials were included in the negotiations, deepening fears among local residents that Kyiv’s interests are being sidelined.
The White House statement was brief, offering no specifics about what those “next steps” might entail. But for many in Atlanta—home to a vibrant Ukrainian diaspora with deep ties to the region—the lack of transparency is itself alarming. Community leaders have spent more than three years organizing rallies, raising humanitarian aid, and lobbying Congress for continued military support to Ukraine. The prospect of a deal negotiated between Trump’s team and the Kremlin, without Ukrainian input, echoes a pattern that critics say has defined Trump’s foreign policy from the start.
Atlanta’s Ukrainian population, concentrated in neighborhoods like Lawrenceville and East Cobb, has watched with growing unease as the Trump administration has shifted U.S. rhetoric on the war. The president has repeatedly praised Putin, questioned NATO’s value, and falsely claimed that Ukraine started the conflict—statements that align with Russian propaganda. Now, direct talks between Trump’s envoys and Putin over “next steps” suggest a framework that could pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions.
For local residents like Oksana Kovalenko, a software engineer in Marietta whose parents still live near Kharkiv, the news is personal. “Every time Trump speaks with Putin, we hold our breath,” she said outside a Ukrainian grocery store in Roswell. “We don’t know what kind of deal is being made over our heads.” Kovalenko’s words reflect a broader anxiety: that the United States, under Trump, is treating Russia not as an aggressor but as a negotiating partner on equal footing with the victim.
The editorial board of AtlantaStar.co has long documented what it sees as Trump’s deference to Russian interests—from his refusal to condemn Putin’s election manipulations to his administration’s lifting of sanctions on Russian oligarchs. Intelligence community assessments, including those declassified in 2020, concluded that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Trump win. While the White House disputes those findings, the pattern of policy decisions benefiting Moscow is difficult to ignore.
This latest development adds urgency to that pattern. By discussing “next steps” with Putin without Ukraine at the table, Trump’s envoys are effectively negotiating the terms of a sovereign nation’s future with the man who ordered its invasion. For Atlanta’s Ukrainian community, that is not diplomacy—it is betrayal.
Local faith leaders are planning a prayer vigil this weekend at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Buckhead. Father Andriy Chirovsky, the cathedral’s pastor, said the community will pray “for wisdom for our leaders, and for protection for our homeland.” He added, “We cannot afford silence when the voices of the powerful are not our own.”
The talks also raise questions for Georgia’s congressional delegation. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock have both been vocal supporters of Ukraine aid, but with Republicans controlling the White House and Senate, Atlanta’s Democratic lawmakers face an uphill battle to ensure that any “next steps” do not reward Putin’s aggression. Ossoff’s office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.
As the situation develops, AtlantaStar.co will continue to follow this story, reporting on the local impact and holding those in power accountable. The stakes for Atlanta’s Ukrainian community—and for the rule of international law—could not be higher.
Originally reported by Google News — World. Source: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiowFBVV95cUxPakJjOHJqSVhxNTFwZDQ1bVdianB6aDdwUmc1ckRqZFVpTlQzX0tzcGVSVWdfbHZ1RFc3YVNzOVRmaHJ3VnVpR3ZPNkhXLXlWNHJUWWQyY2t2bG9XajY4dGg0ZnpRSzlKTlpsS3pUQnRRWXZPaUNtS3hOc1pCaHhCb0YzZFpEVG5XY0xHU0pjQ3ZFT29MbldlbjA4d1F0LXpIWjFZ?oc=5