NEW YORK, April 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Ruslana, the international pop star, former member of the Ukrainian parliament, peace activist and leader of the Maidan protests, is in New York City today and Tuesday and available for in person or phone interviews about the disintegrating situation in Ukraine. She is in the US under the auspices of the US-Ukraine Foundation.

In a statement today, Ruslana said: "On Monday, Russian agitators masquerading as Ukrainians seized public buildings in three cities. The situation in Ukraine after the seizure of Crimea by Putin is disintegrating. We are witnessing the slow motion takeover of a sovereign nation while the world stands by. The US and UK guaranteed Ukraine's sovereignty in the Budapest Agreement of 1994. But they are only issuing meaningless warnings that have no teeth and that the tyrant Putin doesn't respect. The US and UK needs to send military equipment and support to Ukraine. The US and UK need to impose meaningful sanctions, now. There is no more time to wait. The time for meaningful action is now."

Her performance of the Ukrainian national anthem nearly every night for over three months, even in the face of impending police attacks and death threats, fortified the Maidan and became a symbol of its commitment to a democratic, diverse and unified Ukraine. When police attacked peaceful student demonstrators, she personally evacuated them and stood guard outside while alerting the media and calling on the international community to intervene. Then, on a freezing night in December, as security forces with truncheons and shields descended on the Maidan, Ruslana remained onstage to marshal activists to stand their ground and resist non‐violently. Her courage resulted in being recognized as one of the Top 10 Most Influential Women in the World in 2013 by Forbes magazine. The U.S. Secretary of State honored her with the Woman of Courage Award in March 2014. And last weekend she was honored as part the Women in the World conference.

She has launched a new website to rally support for Maidan and the people of Ukraine as they face Putin's aggression. http://www.LightsOfFreedom.com.

SOURCE US-Ukraine Foundation