HOST, HANNAH LORENZO: Earlier this week, American and Russian officials held their first peace negotiation talks since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, no Ukrainian officials were involved in the talks. Earlier this week, US president Trump falsely called Ukraine president Zelensky a dictator. Dana Binfet took a trip to Little Ukraine in the Lower East Side to find out what residents think about the latest updates, and what they hope to see.
NARRATOR, DANA BINFET: Do you have thoughts on Trump calling Zelenskyy a dictator?
ROMAN BOSNOVIC: Well I think his comment that Ukraine is responsible for starting the war, I think it’s outrageous
BINFET: Roman Bosnovic has lived in NYC for 60 years, and has been coming to the East Village Meat Market for the past 20 years. Despite the cold weather in New York City this morning, he still showed up right when the Deli opened at 9am. When it comes to Trump, Bosnovic had a recent change of heart.
BOSNOVIC: I’ve been a trump supporter since about 2016
Until he decides to change his tone when dealing with Ukraine.
BINFET: Bosnovic knows the story of Ukraine’s formation very well.
BOSNOVIC: Mr. Trump forgets that there was a Budapest Memorandum where the territories of Ukraine were guaranteed respected. So if the United States has any credibility it should abide by those agreements.
BINFET: These negotiation talks come just ahead of the three year anniversary of the start of the war. And this local is concerned about the unprecedented approach to US diplomacy, especially excluding Ukraine from the conversations.
BOSNOVIC: Sooner or later Ukraine has to become a part of the conversation. Trump can have a conversation with Putin whenever he wants to but sooner or later Zelensky has to be represented, and Ukraine’s interest has to be represented.
BINFET: The neighborhood is bright with yellow and blue flags hanging from apartment balconies and peaking out of corner store windows up and down 2nd Avenue. From yellow and blue cookies in the deli, flags in the coffee shops and “stand with Ukraine stamps” on the sidewalk outside Veselka, the neighborhood is awash in support for Ukraine.
JOHN KENNEDY DAILY: Veselka’s a very popular Ukrainian restaurant in the East Village, been around at least 70 years I want to say. I’ve worked across the street for five years.
BINFET: John Kennedy Daily is a barista at the mud spot, and has worked in Little Ukraine since 2020, two years before the war in Ukraine began. He says there have been way more flags since the war started and the neighborhood has continued to be busy attributing it to local support for Ukraine.
DAILY: I support Ukraine because those are the people around me in this neighborhood. Veselka specifically has had a line around the block, even now years on they still have lines around the block which they didn’t necessarily have a few years ago coming out of covid.
BINFET: Residents in this lower east side neighborhood are waiting to see what comes of the negotiation talks and the war in Ukraine. Dana Binfet, Uptown Radio News.
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