Hundreds of protesters have shouted ‘shame’ at a demonstration for the freedom of Ukraine outside the US Embassy in Nine Elms, London this evening.
The crowd gathered to call for the cancellation of Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK, offered by Sir Keir Starmer when he met with Trump in the White House last week.
John McDonnell MP was the first to take the microphone at the entrance of the Nine Elms building, condemning Trump for bullying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and withdrawing military support for the war-torn nation.
The message at the demonstration was clear – the United States cannot betray Ukrainians as the invasion enters its fourth year.
One issue that protesters here have been clear on – the use of seized Russian assets in Europe to fund Ukraine’s defence in the absence of U.S. military aid.
‘Try negotiating while being shot at,’ one placard read. Another said: ‘Down with Russian and U.S. imperialism. End all occupations. Look back. Solidarity with all oppressed people.’
Signs reading ‘Kick out the Kremlin loving Klown’ and ‘Trump-Putin what an ugly cowardly team’ also waved above the crowd.
Protesters have held handmade signs to show support for Ukraine (Picture: Gergana Krasteva)
Ukrainian flags were waved proudly by protesters (Picture: AFP)
Protesters chanted ‘Ukraine is not for sale’ before one speaker called Trump’s policies ‘gangster capitalism’, drawing attention to his desires to take over Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal.
Any admiration for the White House seemed to have changed among Ukrainians with the change of leadership in the Oval Office.
During Trump’s most recent state visit to the UK in June 2019, he was met by tens of thousands of protesters.
Zoey Gardner, one of the organisers of Stop Trump’s Visit, threatened much larger mass protests in the capital if the visit goes ahead.
‘We shouldn’t be rewarding him with a visit to London and a dinner with the King,’ she told Metro.
‘If the visit does go ahead, then I promise we will organise much bigger mass protests. He’s chosen his side. Sadly, he’s chosen Putin’s side. And we need to wake up and recognize that that’s the case, that he’s not our ally.
‘And if he’s not our ally, then we should not be honouring him in this way with a dinner with the King and a state visit.’
Calls to cancel Trump’s state visit were echoed (Picture: PA)
Some signs were especially witty (Picture: PA)
Armorer Wason told Metro: ‘The thing I feel most strongly about is that Trump is asking Zelensky to thank America.
‘Trump should be on his knees, thanking Zelensky for holding the line against Putin’s Russia, making so much sacrifice in Ukraine, which is helping all of Europe and even America.’
It appears the UK isn’t excited about his return, with the explosive conversation between Zelensky and Trump in the White House last week sparking outrage from those in the UK, and other Ukrainian allies.
Zelensky met with Trump in the Oval Office hoping to sign a crucial minerals agreement that would guarantee America’s continued support in Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia.
But tensions between the two leaders soon boiled over, and the conference quickly descended into a shouting match unforeseen on the world stage before which saw Trump yelling at Zelensky to make a deal with Russia or count the US out.
‘You’re either going to make a deal or we’re out,’ Trump told Zelensky on Friday in the Oval Office.
‘If we’re out, you’ll fight it out. I don’t think it will be pretty.’
Trump also told Zelensky ‘you’re not acting at all thankful’ and that the meeting would make ‘great television’ after it concludes.
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