From My Heart
A newsletter about Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Belarus, and about living in challenging times. Bridging the gap between people’s hearts with words.
By Darya Zorka
Feb 15, 2025
Since last week, I’ve been fundraising to help my friend Sergei, who has been fighting on the front in Ukraine for almost three years. As we exchanged messages about the fundraiser’s progress, I didn’t mention the news, hoping that Sergei didn’t read it.
On Wednesday, after Trump’s call to Putin, he texted: “I can’t stop thinking about the guys who died during these years. The best guys, my friends. If we are forced into capitulation, and Russians would be given Ukrainian territories and go unpunished after everything they’ve done – these guys died for nothing.”
I tried my best to reassure him that Ukraine will prevail, against all odds, because it always does. After some time, he texted: “I don’t want Ukraine to become Chechnya.” I answered that it never would and that people in Chechnya had a different situation, and no one fundraised to help them.
Then, I went online and started to promote the fundraiser to such an extent that I was even called a beggar, but I didn’t care. Eventually, we reached the goal, and Sergei ordered the gear. I texted him: “See? People still support Ukraine. Don’t give up!”
He sent a saluting face emoji.
A few days ago, as my Ukrainian husband and I sat down to dinner, I asked: “Do you think Trump will force Ukraine into a bad deal? I’m so worried about the news.” In response, he shared a story. In 2014, in an attempt to end the EuroMaidan revolution, European leaders facilitated a deal between pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych and the opposition leaders of Ukraine. The agreement was signed, and it promised early presidential elections and reforms. The European politicians were satisfied and thought that Ukrainians would stop protesting, but they didn’t. No one believed that Yanukovych would honor the agreement, as he already went too far into clinging to power.
More than 100 people were killed during the protests, and Ukrainians couldn’t let it go and forget about it. They kept protesting, and when Yanokuvych saw that, he fled to Russia, where he stays to this day. The moral of the story is that no one can force Ukrainians to make an unfair deal or behave a certain way. Eleven years ago, European leaders underestimated the will and power of the Ukrainian people. Now, American leaders make the same mistake.
My friend Sergei is from Mariupol, a once beautiful city by the Azov Sea that is now occupied by Russians and surrounded by mass graves. A few years ago, during an interview, Sergei was asked why he had volunteered to go to the front. He answered, “Because I want to carry a Ukrainian flag into Mariupol.” I don’t think anyone, Trump or any other politician, can make Sergei give up on his dream. Neither should we give up on Ukraine. Let’s keep fighting.
P.S.: I promised to post a new Eastern European recipe this week, but it felt inappropriate, and I couldn’t find the right time. “Russians just bombed Chernobyl, but look at my new breakfast recipe!” It seems absurd and surreal. However, is there ever a right time? So, I decided to post it anyway. Look for it in your inbox in the next couple of days.
Darya Zorka is a writer, poet, activist, and documentary translator. She contributed to multiple films about Ukraine, including the award-winning documentary “20 Days in Mariupol.”
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This is a photo of a Belarusian house, which is a perfect metaphor for how it feels to rediscover your own culture and history, erased by Russian colonialism – standing outside and peeking through the window of the house that belongs to you. I wrote about my experience of growing up in Belarus and being deprived of my culture and identity in this essay:
Photo by belaruskayavesachka (IG handle)
Warmly,
Darya
Email: daryazorka@substack.com
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