УКР Larysa Rushchak and Mykhailo Kholiavenko have been supporting the Leleka Foundation since 2014. Today, their commitment to Ukraine is stronger than ever.
They don’t see themselves as philanthropists.
“What we do now—at this scale—is simply a response to what’s happening to our country. But we don’t call it charity,” they explain. “Charity implies something optional, even a luxury. What’s happening now isn’t optional. It’s a necessity.”
For Larysa and Mykhailo, helping Ukraine is a responsibility shared by all Ukrainians, no matter where they live. “How you help—how often, how much, in what form—that’s personal. But whether to help? That’s not even a question.”
Why Leleka?
For them, the answer is simple: trust.
“Everyone we’ve ever referred to Leleka for help received it. That means something. You build trust not just through reports or social media—but through real people getting real support. We believe in Leleka not only because of the life-saving medical work, but because we believe in the people behind it.”
Leleka Foundation: How long have you been supporting Leleka?
Larysa and Mykhailo: We’ve known about Leleka and started supporting it back in 2014. At the time, we were still living in the Netherlands and saw what Iryna Guk (the founder of LelekaUkraine) was doing since 2014. Later, we moved to the United States. We are Ukrainians, citizens of Ukraine. We have no other citizenship. We’ve been working in large international companies and traveling the world since early 2000s
Leleka: Have you always been involved in charitable work, or did the events around Ukraine in 2014 push you in that direction?
Larysa and Mykhailo: We can’t say that we were engaged in charity in any systematic way before that. What we’re doing now — regularly, focused, intentional — was a direct response to what was happening in Ukraine. But we don’t call what we do now “charity.” It’s not charity. The word “charity” implies something optional, almost a luxury—you choose whether to help or not. But right now, that option doesn’t exist.
Of course, people have different capabilities, and you can’t demand the same from everyone, but every Ukrainian, wherever they are, is helping Ukraine stand. That’s the norm. The volume, consistency, and form of support—those are things each person decides for themselves. But whether to do something or not? That’s not even a question.
The people defending us on the frontlines are doing the absolute maximum—something none of us will ever reach. But we must also do our part. So no, we don’t call it charity. It’s something else. It’s Ukrainianness, and everyone helps in their own way. This must be the norm.
Leleka: You’re speaking about Ukrainians coming together and helping. But what about foreigners? You work in international companies and can compare, are they still standing with Ukraine?
Mykhailo and Larysa: That’s a very good and difficult question. Obviously, we Ukrainians have a Ukraine-centric perspective. We believe the whole world should know about us and support us. We say we’re defending the world. And from our perspective, that kind of support is justified.
But we feel that attention to Ukraine is practically gone. We can’t say foreigners are thinking much about Ukraine anymore. What’s more, we see that even among strong supporters—our true friends who genuinely understand what’s happening—the narrative has shifted. Now they try to explain the need to support Ukraine using practical, pragmatic, even cynical arguments.
In 2022, it was about morality and the fight between good and evil. Now, many people who once supported us have moved on to other issues. Even those who still support us often rely on practical arguments, not moral ones.
There are sincere friends who truly understand what’s going on—but they are few. There are people who are willing to listen—but unfortunately, not many of them either. And then there’s the general public that closely follows broader narratives. Ukraine was a “trendy” topic in 2022. That has ended. It’s hard, it’s painful, but we must realize this—otherwise, we won’t be able to continue the fight.
Leleka: Why do you personally continue to support Leleka?
Mykhailo and Larysa: There’s one key component—personal trust and the human factor. Everyone among our acquaintances whom we directed to Leleka for help received that help. Trust is built not only through social media reporting but through the real experiences of people you know who got that support.
We support Leleka not only because of the focus on tactical medicine, which we believe to be crucially important, but also because we trust Leleka. We know that Leleka does the right things and does them in a right way.
Leleka: What does victory for Ukraine look like to you—especially in light of recent talks about pushing Ukraine toward peace on Moscow’s terms?
Mykhailo and Larysa: That’s a very important and difficult question. First of all, regarding war fatigue: only people holding weapons—those who’ve been defending Ukraine for more than three years, and some for all 11 years—have the right to talk about being tired.
The situation is extremely complex. Of course, victory for Ukraine means territorial integrity. It means peace through strength and protection. That protection might come from within Ukraine, from the outside, or both. That would be victory.
Is such a comprehensive victory achievable right now? Unfortunately, no. But we must still declare it. We must understand it. Our generation and the ones to come need to know this. The rest is a matter of tactics, military strategy, and diplomacy.
Of course, if people stop being killed, if the drones and rockets that now strike Ukrainian cities almost daily stop coming—that’s better than the current situation.
But the only true formula for victory is restoring the borders, achieving lasting peace, and building a system in which Ukraine’s political nation can thrive, live in peace, and be part of the global community.
We likely won’t achieve that in one step, no matter how much we wish we could. I see people now trying to frame Ukraine’s survival as a form of victory. But that’s not the case.
There are nations that live in such a mode for a long time. Israel, for example, has gone through many difficult stages in its history.
Several generations of Ukrainians will live under the shadow of ongoing threats. And we must think not just about what to eat today or tomorrow or how to relax (even though people need that too), but also about how each of us can contribute to the safety and future of our country.
Leleka: And you’re with Ukraine until victory.
Mykhailo and Larysa: Yes. Because it’s not a matter of choice. We simply don’t see any other option.