Eight million people live in New York City, just under 20 million in the state. And yet, I’ve never felt more isolated.

As Ukraine marks three years under relentless attack, I’ve found myself in a country that seems eerily indifferent to the suffering of my neighbours.

I may live in the US, but I am proudly British, proudly European, and absolutely, wholly, completely, proudly pro-Ukraine. Every day and every headline is a fresh betrayal, and I find myself mostly surrounded by people who don’t know, don’t care, or don’t understand.

One relative out here even questioned why I’m so invested in Ukraine’s sovereignty and told me that I would feel differently if it were my taxes funding it — seemingly completely unaware that Europe has contributed more to Ukraine than the US.

I try to remain levelheaded, but Trump’s decision to halt aid to Ukraine yesterday is the final betrayal — it’s a death sentence.

The callousness goes beyond Trump. Days after those scenes in the Oval Office, Marco Rubio accused Zelenskyy of ‘Ukraine-splaining’ when he dared to push back against US politicians undermining his country’s fight for survival. Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, used her platform to claim that Zelenskyy has ‘different aims’ beyond peace.

But the root of all this animosity tracks back to that infamous call in 2020.

Trump had a 30-minute phone call with Zelenskyy in which the Ukrainian President said his country was ‘ready’ to buy more weapons from the US. Trump responded: ‘I would like you to do us a favour though,’ before later asking Zelenskyy to ‘look into’ Joe Biden’s son, Hunter, and his business dealings with a Ukrainian company.

A whistleblower complaint of this exchange was later the basis for Trump’s first impeachment, which he was acquitted for.

Then, there’s the rest of them. JD Vance essentially argued that supporting Ukraine is a waste of resources and Americans ‘won’t stand’ for funding ‘the war forever’.

Republican members of Congress have openly spread and entertained Russian propaganda. It seems to me that the only ones willing to talk about Ukraine are those looking to plunder the country for its minerals.

And where the hell are the Democrats? There is zero leadership. The national party has slumped to the most embarrassing political communication I’ve ever seen — and I worked for the Liberal Democrats during the tuition fees fiasco.

Michelle and Barack Obama? I can’t see a single word. Hillary and Bill Clinton? Nothing meaningful. Jill and Joe Biden? Silent. Even George W. Bush, who knows a thing or two about illegal wars, doesn’t appear to have said anything.

Okay, a few — notably Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, AOC, and a handful of others — have been speaking out. But it’s not enough.

I am exhausted from constantly explaining why my continent’s survival — why Trump and Putin can’t just redraw geographical boundaries — should matter to Americans. 

This is not some distant conflict; if Ukraine loses, the world becomes catastrophically less safe. Putin and other dictators who dream of conquest will not stop at Ukraine. They will test the limits of Western inaction, and authoritarian regimes will take notes. US security, NATO’s future, and global stability all hinge on Russia’s defeat.

And guess what? If Ukraine does lose, where do you think all those refugees are going to go? The same people who dismiss this war as ‘not our problem’ will likely be the first to complain about an influx of displaced, desperate families seeking safety. So, if only for your own selfish reasons, start giving a flip about this war.

And let’s clear up another thing: Alliances are not one-sided. America rightly expects loyalty from its allies, but where is their commitment?

Vance can seemingly dub the UK ‘some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years’ (something he’s since denied), but when our once-closest ally needed us after 9/11, we responded without hesitation — and lost 636 brave British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is life and death. Every dollar withheld, every weapon delayed, costs lives. Each time you look away, you are complicit. 

Living here, watching my home continent under siege, has been isolating, frustrating, and depressing. But one good thing has come of it: I have never been prouder of my country.

Britain, while certainly not perfect, has stepped up in a way that sends shivers down my spine. I understand the difficult dance Starmer is doing, but seeing Zelenskyy welcomed in the way he was brought tears to my eyes.

Cheering crowds outside No 10 Downing Street; our Prime Minister embracing him on the streets, a seemingly small but powerful difference, as Prime Ministers tend to wait inside No 10 to greet leaders — it has been a masterclass in solidarity.

But still. The war goes on. Ukraine continues to be ravaged. And the most powerful country in the world is now looking the other way, pulling funding and – what appears to me – to be siding with Russia.

So I beg you. Do your bit — stop turning the other way. Stop scrolling past. Do not shrug off the destruction, do not ignore the bombed-out homes, and do not rationalise Trump’s appeasement.

Silence is complicity. And there is more than enough history to teach us that complicity leads to the darkest of places.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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