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For the past three years of the Russia-Ukraine war, the global Ukrainian community has been an anchor for Kateryna Kolesova. Kolesova, a graduate student in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, was forced to leave her home when the war broke out.

Kolesova fled to the United States to join her parents, leaving behind friends, a budding tech career and the country she loved.

“This is a war, a full-scale war, which was caused by Russia on Ukraine. It’s a genocide of my country and my people,” Kolesova said. “It’s been going for centuries, the wars with Russia and them trying to deprive us of our rights, culture, language.”

As the third anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine passed Monday, SU students reflected on the continuous warfare, saying their strength throughout the past three years comes from a strong Ukrainian community both at home and at SU. With the United Nations demanding an end to the fighting, students said they want to see peace in their homeland and Russia to be held accountable.

Kolesova said she often feels a heavy, emotional weight on her shoulders being far from home while loved ones endure the hardship and suffering of war. With this added weight, she said being part of the Ukrainian Student Association has helped her build a community that can relate to her and eased her navigation of a tumultuous three years.

“It feels like there’s this cloud over you, even when you’re happy. It’s like, ‘How dare I be happy when there are all these things going on?’” Kolesova said. “But you kind of stop yourself and try to be grateful that you’re safe and alive.”

Grant Terrence Montonye, a freshman studying international relations, said the association has made him feel connected to his heritage. Being part of the association has strengthened his pride for his family’s Ukrainian roots, which go back to his great-grandmother.

Montonye attended a Ukrainian cultural school in his Virginia hometown, where he was able to learn Ukrainian. He said he felt a growing sense of connection to his ancestry from learning it.

Montonye spent four years at the school, two of which were amid the war. He said directly after the war began, his school’s enrollment spiked from Ukrainian families seeking refuge in America.

Kolesova said one of the hardest parts of being so far away from home is balancing her life in Syracuse while constantly worrying about the war. She said it’s difficult to immerse herself in her studies and enjoy American culture while feeling helpless and forced to watch her country suffer.

“It is not easy to ignore or just turn it off,” Kolesova said. “Even if you’re not thinking, you are thinking about it.”

Due to her immigration status, Kolesova hasn’t been able to leave the U.S. since her arrival. She left behind her elderly grandparents and said she’s missed countless milestones, including the weddings of both of her best friends, while stuck overseas. Talking on the phone doesn’t make up for the memories missed, Kolesova said.

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As the war continues, Montonye emphasized the importance of staying focused on Ukraine and its people. Both he and Kolesova said the war has become “forgotten” — not only by other students, but by many across the world.

Anna Meehan, a junior at SU and the current president of the association, joined the association in 2022, nine months after the outbreak of the conflict. Meehan recalled countless fundraisers and events throughout the first year of the war to raise awareness for Ukraine, but as the years have passed, she said she’s noticed dwindling participation in these efforts.

Montonye said American students have grown increasingly distant from the war and is surprised by how many of his peers remain unaware of the war’s intricate nature.

“A lot of the time when it comes up in conversation, people say, ‘Oh, that’s still going on. I didn’t even know that was still happening,’” Montonye said.

The current war isn’t Russia’s first with Ukraine, but a continuation of Russia’s 2014 invasion of the Crimean Peninsula. Russian President Vladimir Putin argued the annexation of Crimea was justified due to historical wrongs imposed by the global west against Russia. Kolesova said the historic nature of the conflict is important to remember, as many view the war as an isolated event.

As of September, The Wall Street Journal estimated nearly 200,000 Russian deaths and reported the Ukrainian government’s estimated 80,000 Ukrainian deaths and 400,000 injuries since Russian troops crossed into Crimea in 2014.

Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. took a pro-Ukraine stance, providing billions in aid for the country’s economic and military assistance, Brian Taylor, an SU professor of Russian politics, said. When Russia invaded, Taylor said the Biden administration made clear they would not tolerate the unjust invasion of a peaceful sovereign nation.

Since his inauguration, President Donald Trump has reversed many policies Biden implemented to support Ukraine’s efforts in the war. Trump also falsely accused Ukraine of starting the war and called Ukrainian President Vlodmyr Zelensky a dictator earlier this month.

On Monday, the U.S. joined Russia in voting against a UN resolution blaming Putin for starting the war and calling for the immediate removal of Russian troops from Ukraine, the Associated Press reported. The resolution overwhelmingly passed in the UN’s General Assembly, where it was sponsored by representatives from Kyiv, the Washington Post reported.

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As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year, Syracuse’s Ukrainian community reflects on the emotional weight of displacement and the ongoing conflict. Despite challenges, students continue to find strength in solidarity and push for peace and accountability.

“The current American administration appears determined to bypass Ukrainian voices and interests, seeking instead to secure its own material interests from Ukraine under threat of leaving Putin unchecked,” said Robert Terrell, a professor of modern European history at SU.

Meehan said many students are concerned about the Trump administration’s impact on the war and what it means for future U.S. aid to Ukraine.

Meehan said association members felt more secure under the Biden administration because of frequent aid packages and regular verbal commitments he made to the Ukrainian war effort. As coverage of the war has lessened over time, Meehan said students are often left dreading updates from the new administration.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump discussed an agreement that Zelensky called a “framework” to get future security measures for Ukraine from the U.S., CNN reported. The agreement outlines a variety of deals between the two nations, with Trump determined to fulfill his campaign promise to end the war.

The agreement stipulates that Ukraine will contribute half of all future revenue from all hydrocarbons, oil and natural gas, as well as rare earth minerals as payment for American funding throughout the war. In return, the U.S. would continue to support Ukraine’s “efforts to obtain security guarantees needed to establish lasting peace.”

Taylor, who also serves as director of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs’ Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs, said the war hasn’t been beneficial to either country, with Russia’s long-term power ranking diminishing as the war continues.

“They have chewed through a massive amount of military equipment … It’ll take them a long time to reconstitute that military power.” Taylor said.

Taylor emphasized that the war not only causes thousands of casualties, but also long-term damage to infrastructure that could take decades to recover from. Even after years of pressure and attempts at reasoning with Putin, the UN. and North Atlantic Trade Alliance have been unable to broker a deal.

“Russia doesn’t understand compromises,” Kolesova said. “They don’t understand agreements. They don’t understand kindness. They only act as a bully.”

For many Ukrainians abroad, the strength of their soldiers and communities back home “keeps their hope alive,” Kolesova said.

The war’s entrance into its fourth year is disturbing to many Ukranian students, Meehan said, but the length of the war is also a testament to the strength of Ukraine.

Montonye said many people think Ukraine’s stall tactics at the front lines indicate no hope of victory, but he believes it’s further proof of the country’s resilience. Taylor echoed the importance of Ukrainian resilience, not only in its military but also for its people around the globe.

“Put those two things together, the Ukrainian resilience and Russia’s refusal to back down, and the sad reality is that we’re more likely to see continued war than peace, at least in the foreseeable future,” Taylor said.

Ukrainians continue to hold onto hope for peace, but only on their terms, Taylor said. For many Ukranians, it’s not just about wanting the war to be over, he said, but wanting a fair resolution that punishes Russia for starting the conflict.

Meehan said students in the association want to see the restoration of Ukraine’s borders that were created after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. These territories include not only Crimea, but the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk as well.

Kolesova said her vision of peace for Ukraine would mean Russia completely withdrawing its forces from Ukrainian territory and providing reparations for the damages it has caused.
Some things can’t be repaid, she said.

“There’s nothing to compensate for what they did because nothing can bring dead people back and the lives they destroyed. All the people who they harmed, people who they tortured. ” Kolesova said. “They need to be ashamed of what they’ve done and take long-term responsibility.”

Published on February 27, 2025 at 2:00 am

Contact Shivika: sgupta38@syr.edu