A Ukrainian mother taking refuge in Montana is being forced to send her toddler daughter back to the war-ridden country.
Zhanna Kulahina, 26, and her three-year-old, Maria evacuated to Bozeman through the United for Ukraine program in August 2023.
‘We lived a happy life, and unfortunately, the war changed everything. Every night when we heard bomb and yes, we tried to be in a bomb shelter or basement, wherever I can find a safe place for Maria,’ she told KBZK.
‘Maybe we can be a victim of this war.’
Since then, the single mother has been working as a dental technician, volunteering at Bozeman Health and studying to become accredited to practice dentistry in the US while Maria attends preschool.
However, Zhanna’s ex-husband who lives in their home country filed a lawsuit against her, claiming that she had kidnapped Maria.
After months of a legal battle, the United States District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled Maria should return to her father in Ukraine two days before Christmas.
‘If she returned to Ukraine, she could die there. It’s a really terrible situation because it’s my child, it’s my baby.
Zhanna Kulahina, 26, and her three-year-old, Maria evacuated to Bozeman through the United for Ukraine program in August 2023
However, Zhanna’s ex-husband who lives in their home country filed a lawsuit against her – claiming that she had kidnapped Maria
‘If she returned to Ukraine, she could die there. It’s a really terrible situation because it’s my child, it’s my baby,’ Zhanna said
‘We are in a safe place now; how do we return to Ukraine where so many children and babies die? I can’t imagine how it’s possible,’ Zhanna told KTVH.
According to the court order, Maria will need to return to Ukraine by February 3.
Neighbors have quickly banded together to help the mother and daughter with legal costs and provide emotional support.
A GoFundMe was launched soon after the lawsuit began to provide aid for the pair.
‘Zhanna was peacefully rebuilding a life for herself and her daughter until this past August, when she was unexpectedly served with a lawsuit brought by her ex-husband (who continues to reside in Ukraine) which claims that Zhanna abducted their child,’ the description reads.
‘The ex-husband’s case, which was filed in federal district court, suggests that Zhanna illegally removed their daughter from her country of habitual residence and required that she return to Ukraine — regardless of the grave risk of such a move.
‘The federal judge in this case was aware that the ex-husband willingly escorted Zhanna and her daughter to the train station in their hometown of Odesa two years ago so that they could flee to neighboring Moldova.
‘The judge also knows that, on average, Odesa gets hit with a missile, drone strike, or bomb every sixth day, and he knows that air raid sirens go off no less than once every three days in the other cities.
After months of a legal battle, the United States District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled Maria should return to her father in Ukraine two days before Christmas
Neighbors have quickly banded together to help the mother and daughter with legal costs and provide emotional support
‘A return to an existence that is defined by fear of air raid sirens and explosions would be deeply damaging for both Zhanna and her child. It’s unfathomable.
‘It is our understanding that the ex-husband has hired an attorney pro bono to represent him. Because the case involves a complicated international human rights dispute in federal court, dozens of expert witnesses, multiple translators and two local lawyers, it will be a financially costly one, to say nothing of the emotional toll it will surely take on Zhanna and her daughter.’
As of now, the crowdfunding page has raised $645 toward its $14,000 goal. About $34,000 has already been raised by friends for the duo.
It remains unclear if Zhanna will try to have the decision appealed.
On Friday, President-elect Donald Trump announced he has pushed back his deadline for ending the Russia-Ukraine war despite having vowed to end the conflict within ’24 hours’ of becoming president.
The US president-elect now aims to end the war against Ukraine within 100 days of his inauguration, Keith Kellogg, Trump’s choice for special Ukraine peace envoy, told Fox News on Wednesday.
‘This is a war that needs to end, and I think he can do it in the near term,’ Kellogg, 80, added, defining ‘near term’ as just over 14 weeks out from inauguration.
The comments come after Trump revealed in a press conference that he would not launch peace talks until after he takes office on January 20.
According to the court order, Maria will need to return to Ukraine by February 3
This is despite having repeatedly pledged during his campaign to end the war as soon as he was elected.
‘People need to understand, he’s not trying to give something to Putin or to the Russians, he’s actually trying to save Ukraine and save their sovereignty,’ Kellogg said.
‘And he’s going to make sure that it’s equitable and it’s fair’.
The US diplomat praised the president-elect for his willingness to meet with Vladimir Putin and said the outgoing president Joe Biden’s ‘biggest mistake’ was his refusal to work with the Russian President.
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