‘Ukraine is not for sale’: Calgary Ukrainian community rally in response to White House blow up with Zelenskyy

“Ukraine is not for sale” is the theme of an emergency rally attended by hundreds in Calgary Sunday, which was organized in response to U.S. President Donald Trump berating Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his White House visit Friday.

The Calgary branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) kicked off the event at the Municipal Plaza–just in front of City Hall–at 1:30 p.m.

In a news release, the UCC president Aleksandra Chyczik said the “shameful attack by Trump and Vance on President Zelenskyy was one of the most disgraceful things we have ever witnessed” from a U.S. administration.

“To berate the leader of a country fighting for its life against Russia’s genocidal war is an act of perfidy and dishonesty that is a stain on the United States. To say that Ukraine is not ready for peace is simply a lie. It is Russia that does not want peace. It is Russia that started the war.”

Trump and Vice-President JD Vance thrashed Zelenskyy in an explosive exchange at an Oval Office meeting Friday, a meeting to discuss the signing of a minerals deal with the U.S. that was called off afterwards.

The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy, after the vice-president insisted diplomacy was the only way forward.

When Zelenskyy responded by asking and explaining Ukraine’s skepticism with Russia’s diplomacy commitments, it led to an abrupt response from Vance who rebuked the Ukrainian president for challenging the Trump administration. Trump and Vance then barked at Zelenskyy, saying he was disrespectful and thankless, and the former even accusing him of “gambling with World War III.”

The Canadian Ukrainian community has shared their displeasure with the exchange, with some angry, sad, and disgusted at how the leader was treated.

That includes Ihor Michalchyshyn, CEO of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, who told The Canadian Press he felt “quite shocked and quite angry” as he witnessed the moment.

Svitlana Kominko, co-founder of Maple Hope Foundation, a not-for-profit aimed at helping Ukrainians affected by war, also said how the U.S. treated Zelenskyy was “disgusting and humiliated,” and believes he was walking into a staged, well-planned ambush.

The two also explained the moment should wake up Canada and other countries to the reliability of the U.S. as an ally.

Meanwhile, the Calgary UCC says the rally calls on people “who support true democracy to stand with Ukraine and to voice against unjust deals and methods of Trump’s Administration.”

It also thanked Canadian political leaders such as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre “for the words of support for Ukraine.”

With files from Nono Shen, The Canadian Press and Nick Blakeney, CityNews