The first lady of Ukraine spoke at Perry World House on Feb. 6.
Credit: Jean ParkFormer Ukrainian first lady Kateryna Yushchenko spoke at Perry World House on Thursday, addressing the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
The event, hosted by Penn’s Ukrainian Student Association in collaboration with PWH, brought together around 100 students and faculty to discuss the war’s global implications and the importance of continued support for Ukraine.
College sophomore and President of the Ukrainian Student Association Mykhailo Sesin emphasized the importance of the discussion.
“I think the main reason why we organized this event is to bring light to the ongoing full-scale invasion in Ukraine and to bring the attention of our American partners on what’s going on right now in Ukraine, and that the war is not over and that Ukraine still requires support,” Sesin said in an interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian.
Moderated by The Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin, the discussion explored the war’s humanitarian impact, Western support for Ukraine, and the future of Ukrainian sovereignty. Yushchenko reflected on Ukraine’s long history of resistance.
“For us, this is a war about identity, sovereignty, and the survival of us as a nation,” she said.
Throughout the speech, Yushchenko spoke about actions committed by Russian forces in occupied territories, citing mass civilian casualties, cultural suppression, and the abduction of Ukrainian children.
“They’ve abducted … hundreds of thousands of our children and sent them to Russia,” she said. “They ban our language, and anyone who speaks the language in occupied territories is killed.”
Yushchenko emphasized that despite these challenges, Ukraine remains determined.
”We are a land of poets, writers, creators, and we will win,” she said.
One of the key issues raised was Western nations’ support for Ukraine. Yushchenko warned that appeasing Russian aggression would have global consequences.
“The cost of not supporting Ukraine is infinitely higher than the cost of supporting it,” she said, calling for increased military aid, stronger sanctions, and the confiscation of Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction.
Regarding Ukraine’s economic resilience, Yushchenko praised the country’s banking system, saying, “Our banks continued to work. … The stores were always filled.”
She also mentioned efforts to attract foreign investment and pointed out that industries such as technology, agriculture, and renewable energy present significant opportunities for growth once the war ends.
“We want to not only build Ukraine to survive, we want it to serve as a decisive message that aggression will not be rewarded,” she added.
Yushchenko also stressed the need for psychological support and rehabilitation programs for Ukrainian citizens, particularly soldiers and displaced families.
Yushchenko added to the DP the importance of sustained attention on Ukraine.
“I feel that often very important events in the world can’t become forgotten with time. They are no longer in the news every day, and it’s very important to keep Ukraine in the news, and it’s very important to keep the arguments out there on why it’s important. And I think that the Ukrainian students here are doing a great job, and they should be getting their opinions and their … points of view out there more often,” she said.
The discussion also touched on the evolving geopolitical landscape; in particular, the impact of potential changes in United States policy. When asked about the challenges posed by 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump’s second administration, Yushchenko stressed that “any peace agreement has to be based on the UN Charter.”
Daria Oliinyk, a College first year who attended the event, said she was inspired by Yushchenko’s speech.
”The most influential part about her speech was confidently claiming that Ukraine will not be defeated and Ukraine will not surrender,” Oliinyk said. “She perfectly underscored a real resilience and power to stay until the end, until our country gains back its sovereignty.”
Tymur Chumachenko, a College sophomore and vice president of the Ukrainian Student Association, emphasized the event’s role in raising awareness.
“I think, in regards to politics as a whole, a lot of people are uninformed, and through events like this, we’re able to bring more awareness to current events, to different policies and how they affect the U.S. government, and then the world as a whole,” he said.
Yushchenko closed by stressing that Ukraine’s victory is essential for global democracy.
”If we allow Putin to succeed in Ukraine, we’ll pay the price for decades to come in Europe, in the U.S., and everywhere else,” she said.
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