Ukrainians and foreign donors have sent over 27 million hryvnia ($649,000) in donations to the fundraiser "for nukes" that was opened immediately after the publicized White House clash between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The "for nukes" reference serves as a joke that refers to President Volodymyr Zelensky's previous assertions that if Western allies are not ready to accept the country into NATO, then the U.S. should provide Ukraine with an alternative security guarantee, such as nuclear weapons.
With many Ukrainians staying up late due to the news about Trump and Zelensky's heated meeting in Washington, the fundraiser was opened at 1 a.m. Kyiv time by Oleg Gorokhovskyi, Ukrainian businessman and co-owner of country's largest online bank Monobank.
Zelensky left Washington early on Feb. 28 without signing a mineral deal with the United States after Trump reportedly ordered his officials to tell the Ukrainian delegation to leave the White House, despite protest from the Ukrainians.
"There are many requests to start fundraising for the nukes. Here is the jar," Gorokhovskyi wrote in his social media, without elaborating on the subsequent use of the "nukes."
He added a link to the 'jar,' Monobank's famous feature that many volunteers use to raise money for the war effort and humanitarian aid, such as reconstruction of the Ukraine's largest children hospital Okhmatdyt after Russian missile attack in 2024.
According to Gorokhovskyi, Hr 2 million (nearly $50.000) were raised in the first 30 minutes of the fundraiser. Sixteen hours after it began, the sum reached Hr 22 million. It was not immediately clear as to what chartiable cause the money will be donated to.
"About 70,000 participants from 61 countries," Gorokhovskyi wrote on Mar. 1.
"After Ukraine, the U.S. donates the most, followed by Poland. Thank you, friends! Americans and Poles are our closest friends and allies beyond any doubt," he added.
The fundraiser's success shows a wave of support for Zelensky from Ukrainians and foreigners following his explosive meeting with Trump and U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Following the exchange, a number of European leaders on Feb. 28 reaffirmed their support for Ukraine and Zelensky.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized the EU's commitment to stepping up assistance to Ukraine, enabling the country to continue resisting the aggressor.
"Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge," Kallas posted on X.
Ukraine's abandoned its arsenal of nuclear weapons with the signing of the Budapest Memorandum 30 years ago in exchange for security guarantees from both Russia an the U.S.
Dmytro Basmat
(Updated: )
