Global Affairs Club attended a speaker event with former ambassador to Ukraine Dr. Fiona Hill at the Skirball Cultural Center on Feb. 27. Participants spoke to students from different schools and met members of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and Town Hall (LAWACTH) prior to hearing from Hill. The topic of the event was titled “The Way Forward in Ukraine” and was based on the current situation in Ukraine and President Trump’s decision to no longer support the nation in its war against Russia.

This is another addition to a series of events hosted by LAWACTH in which the Global Affairs Club participated. Earlier in the year, students had the opportunity to hear from former mayoral candidate Rick Caruso.

Hill said it was unexpected when Vice President JD Vance announced that the United States would no longer support Ukraine while she was attending the Munich Peace Conference in Germany.

“Vice President Vance said to all the Europeans, ‘We don’t care about you anymore. We are coming out of Europe. You’re basically on your own,’” Hill said. “I was standing next to Arseniy Yatsenyuk, former prime minister of Ukraine, and he looked at me, and he said, ‘I think I’m going to cry. I don’t know what just happened.’”

Micah Parr ’25 said Hill’s words changed his perspective on the conflict as he was provided further insight into the reality of the war.

“In a strange way, I think it humanizes the conflict a little,” Parr said. “I see a lot more political nuance around it. And this does not excuse any aspect of what Russia is doing because they are both destroying a lot of their soldiers and their own civilians.”

History teacher Laurence Klein said he appreciated both the effort put in by the Global Affairs Club leaders and the exposure that the club has gained.

“Ms. Hill’s analysis was very interesting and within a day proved to be prescient,” Klein said. “I’m so happy that Nathan [Wang ’25] and Alex [Dinh ’25]have revitalized this club so that events like this can be fully appreciated by the HW students.”