DETROIT — Hundreds of Ukrainian Americans and Ukraine supporters rallied in downtown Detroit Sunday to raise awareness of the war with Russia on its three-year anniversary.

Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests addressed the crowd at Hart Plaza and prayed for peace for their home country and its people.

Attendees wearing blue and yellow hats, holding Ukrainian flags or draping Ukraine flags around their shoulders strutted down Jefferson Avenue carrying signs that said, "Ukraine vs. Fascism," "Support Ukraine. No Strings Attached," "Help Ukraine = Save the World," and more.

And they gathered to sing the Ukraine national anthem together.

The rally comes after Russia and the U.S. agreed earlier this month to start working toward ending the war in Ukraine and improving their diplomatic and economic ties.

Nate Hatton, 32, of Eastpointe attended the rally with a large group of Ukrainians Americans who held a part-American, part-Ukrainian flag.

"We should support democracy, freedom, not allowing another foreign country to invade another country without any repercussions and kill and slaughter innocent civilians," Hatton said.

Hatton, a train conductor, said he volunteered to assist Ukraine in developing a railway and visited the country in October 2024. He said he spent two weeks in fear in Kyiv, especially after a 16-year-old girl was killed a mile from where he stayed.

"I didn't know what being scared or really what real fear is until I was in a situation like that," he said. "They showed me ... how the war has changed their jobs (and) the situation in their country.

"I thought, naively, the capital was safe from some of the things that were happening miles away in eastern Ukraine. I spent every night in a bomb shelter while I was there. Nowhere in Ukraine is safe. I think the world shouldn't standby and allow these types of things to go on."

United Support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian-American Crisis Response Committee of Michigan organized the rally.

Andrew Powers of the Ukrainian American Crisis Response Committee said in an email that a peace agreement is not enough, and Ukraine needs to be involved in negotiations.

"A peace agreement that does not include serious security guarantees for Ukraine is realistically nothing more than a temporary ceasefire with the Russian Federation. Russia and their president want to rule all of Ukraine’s territory and will attack Ukraine again," Powers said.

President Donald Trump's recent remarks calling Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a dictator amongst other harsh words have created a back-and-forth between the two presidents, creating more tension.

"President Trump’s remarks are disappointing because they are objectively false," Powers said in an email. "Calling the democratically elected president of a free nation under attack by a nation that has an actual dictator, in Russia, is somewhat comical and has been met with objection from both Democratic and Republican lawmakers."

Kateryna Odarchenko, founder of the Institute for Democracy and Development PolitA, said in an email the tensions could lead to two possible scenarios.

"One is that this tension transforms into constructive cooperation, particularly if Zelensky’s team presents a detailed economic plan to Trump’s campaign," Odarchenko said.

"The second scenario revolves around Trump’s direct dialogue with Russia, framing the issue as one of U.S.-Russia relations rather than Ukraine specifically," she said.

"Ultimately, for Ukraine to maintain strong cooperation with the U.S., a bipartisan dialogue is crucial, along with a clear economic strategy. Even if some territories remain occupied following negotiations, the key priority should be securing strong security guarantees."

Oleksandr Kanievskyi of Westland held a sign that read, "Are we really leaders of the world?" as he stood near traffic on Jefferson Avenue with his wife and child. He also said he doesn't agree with the U.S. government's recent actions.

"Regarding the Canada sovereignty making them the 51 state of U.S., for me, that's extremely embarrassing. Even if they are joking, I treat it quite serious, because my country is invaded right now," Kanievskyi said.

Trump has repeatedly said Canada should be the 51st U.S. state as he proposes to erase the 5,525-mile-long border that separates the two countries.

"I do not agree with a lot of narratives going from U.S. administration: vice president, national security advisers. ... I don't see how it can be resolved by the strategy of leaving Ukraine alone with Russia," Kanievskyi said. "Ukraine resists the brutal invasion by Russia so (that's) the main goal why I'm here."

Colton Hughes of Lansing, 35, held a life-size sunflower, Ukraine's national flower, and a sign pointed at drivers as they drove down Jefferson Avenue.

"Looking back in history there's a lot of parallels to what happened in Poland. I'm Polish. I see this as an intrusive invasion and the unnecessary killing of innocent people and taking what rightfully isn't there's of Russia and Putin," Hughes said.

Hughes said he wants to see: "Putin and Russia leave Ukraine alone. ... I want people to be free to live their lives and not worry about bombs flying down and exploding their houses."

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