In N.Y.C.’s Ukrainian Enclaves, Trump’s Rebuke Stirs Complex Feelings
The New York Times
The president and vice president’s berating of Volodymyr Zelensky was greeted with a mix of support and outrage.
Brighton Beach, a Slavic enclave in Brooklyn where Ukrainians outnumber Russians two to one, voted overwhelmingly for President Trump.
But the day after Mr. Trump dressed down President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine in an explosive meeting at the White House — the latest show of Mr. Trump’s declining support for Ukraine — some Ukrainian New Yorkers were left feeling divided.
“His approach may come across a bit too aggressive,” Igor Moshchinsky, 61, said of Mr. Trump at a cafe on Brighton Beach Avenue on Saturday afternoon. But Mr. Moshchinsky, who voted for Mr. Trump, said “I don’t disagree with the content” of Mr. Trump’s criticisms of Mr. Zelensky.
The local city councilwoman, Inna Vernikov, a Republican and a Trump supporter, tried to thread a needle, writing on social media that the consequences of Friday’s meeting “could be disastrous” for both countries.
“Working together to end this war and help the people of Ukraine restore their safety and sovereignty is in the best interests of both of our countries and the world,” she said.
