[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
So anyone who's watching the show right now
is probably thinking why aren't you talking about Ukraine.
Everybody should know that the shows that are airing right now
were shot weeks ago, and the shows
that we're taping right now will air probably in a month or so.
So that's why we have not been talking about Ukraine.
But I think it's so important that we
talk about what's going on and we need
to help the people in Ukraine.
Vik is an incredible performer that we've
had on the show many, many times before.
I follow him on TikTok.
And I just love the guy, just the way you dance.
He has immigrated to the United States from Ukraine in 2012
when he was 13-years old.
Most of his family is still there.
So I know you've been posting about this, but let's talk
about what's going on there.
Thanks for being here.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Ellen.
Tell everybody what you know because you still have family
there.
Yeah, I mean, as all of the attention of the world
is on Ukraine right now, what's going on.
And the situation is pretty simple, you know.
You don't have to get too complicated.
It's Ukrainian people, not just the soldiers, not just
the president, but the people themselves who have nothing
to do with guns or war, they are picking up arms
and they're fighting for their country.
They're fighting for their country.
And just to be clear, because there is like, you know,
people are saying Russia versus Ukraine.
What's really happening is it's Putin versus Ukraine.
There's a lot of Russian people who
don't want none of this war to happen.
I'm Ukrainian myself.
I grew up there.
And when I was growing up there, there
was no kind of hate towards Russia while I was there.
And there's no--
I've never felt that way.
And I don't want people to get into that mode of hate
because hate is not going to conquer hate.
So it's just people fighting for their country.
Yeah, I think that's important to say
because there are a lot of Russian people
who don't want this.
And they are protesting.
And they're jeopardizing their lives
because they're protesting, not wanting this to happen.
And I'm sure a lot of the Russian soldiers
don't want this to happen.
Your family is still there.
Have you been communicating with them?
Yeah, I've been keeping in touch with my family
every single day, with my dad, especially
with my grandpa and grandma, my stepsister, my brothers.
So what's going on right now, my dad
is on the front lines with the volunteers who
are fighting alongside the military,
like Ukrainian soldiers.
Like I mentioned earlier, there's so many people.
Everyone is just willing to fight for their country.
And my dad, even before there was
you know, before the president made the announcement,
my dad was already there.
He's been helping the effort between Ukraine
and the war that's been happening since 2014.
Because the conflict's been there for a while,
but this is now escalating into something way bigger.
But my dad is-- he's with a loaded gun.
He is fighting for his country.
He's fighting for Ukraine.
My little brothers were 12 and seven.
They're helping in making different equipment,
and anything to help in their way.
My grandpa and grandma, they're in a village
that is farther away from all the conflict.
But no matter where you are in Ukraine,
you're going to hear the missiles go off
so everybody's involved.
And you have friends who are dancers who
are there that are fighting.
I mean, when you say this, it's crazy for us to imagine.
Like, someone doing this to--
you know, Los Angeles, and we don't even have weapons.
And someone's coming in with tanks and missiles,
and you're literally learning how to fight
and learning how to protect yourself in any kind of way.
These are children.
These are mothers.
And it's like--
You've got teachers, you have people
who have no kind of experience holding a gun ever before,
and they--
their whole thing is--
I saw an interview, this woman is like, well,
if nobody's going to fight for the country, then
who's going to do it.
Right.
They need more people.
They need more equipment.
They need all the help to fight this war.
And everybody is showing insane bravery,
including our president who is there right now in the capital.
He is fighting.
This is the kind of stuff that the world has never seen.
I mean, you have the president himself.
He had an option to leave the country,
and he said, "I need ammunition.
I don't need a ride."
And I believe the moment he said that, that's
when he won the war.
Because this kind of courage now is just a fight between
good and evil, and good always wins.
And I believe in the victory.
[APPLAUSE]
I personally have donated.
I am doing everything I can and reading as much
as I can to help in any way.
To find out how you can help the people of Ukraine,
you can see below on my website, just go to the website
and we have a list of resources on how you can help.
And our thoughts and our prayers go out
to you and everyone in Ukraine and in Russia
who don't want this to happen.
War is not the answer.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE]
[MUSIC PLAYING]