KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — After practically three years of residing beneath fixed risk of Russian airstrikes whereas their troops struggle a grinding marketing campaign towards Russia’s invasion, many Ukrainians lengthy for an finish to the struggle — however now worry it might come on unfavorable phrases.
Prime U.S. and Russian officers plan to satisfy Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to debate an finish to the struggle — with out Kyiv’s participation — rankling some Ukrainians who fear they are going to be sidelined.
“We are being destroyed, Ukraine is suffering, Ukraine is fighting. And our president does not participate?” Lidiia Odyntsova, 71, mentioned with disbelief of the upcoming talks. “We are the victims. We should play first fiddle in these talks.”
Standing with tears in her eyes beside a snow-covered memorial to fallen Ukrainian troopers in central Kyiv, she mentioned: “I cannot forgive them! I’ll by no means forgive!“
Whereas Ukraine is not going to participate in Tuesday’s talks, U.S. State Division spokesperson Tammy Bruce mentioned any precise peace negotiations would solely happen with Ukraine’s involvement.
Nonetheless, many Ukrainians are watching a barrage of developments from the USA with apprehension. Ukrainian social media has been flooded with posts reflecting deep unease, and plenty of stay anxiously glued to their telephones for updates.
U.S. President Donald Trump final week despatched shockwaves throughout either side of the Atlantic after he agreed by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin to start negotiations — abruptly upending a longstanding U.S.-led effort to isolate Moscow over its invasion. That got here the identical day that U.S. Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and prompt Kyiv ought to abandon hopes of profitable all its territory again from Russia, signaling a view of a possible settlement that’s remarkably near Moscow’s.
Ukraine, which has been slowly shedding floor to Russia’s bigger military, was already going through a troublesome negotiating place, and Hegseth’s feedback poured chilly water on two key Ukrainian aspirations. Whereas assist for an finish to the combating among the many nation’s war-wearied inhabitants is widespread, there stays broad settlement that it should not come on the expense of these residing in territories occupied by Russia or on the threat of future incursions by Moscow.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has dismissed the upcoming talks, saying they might “yield no results” given the absence of Ukrainian officers.
Valerii Semenii, a 59-year-old combating with Ukraine’s armed forces, in the meantime, mentioned he feared the worst.
“Trump is marching towards a world war, because the aggressor cannot be pacified,” Semenii mentioned. “He does not know history, because maybe today you will pacify (Putin), but tomorrow it will provoke a world war. There is nothing else I can say about these negotiations.”
That sentiment mirrored fears by many in Ukraine’s authorities and inhabitants that bringing an finish to the combating with out constructing a long-lasting safety infrastructure to stop any future Russian aggression would enable Moscow time to regroup and launch future assaults, each in Ukraine and the broader area.
“We have to understand that Russia is a danger not only for Ukraine,” mentioned Oleksandr Shyrshyn, a battalion commander combating within the Russian area of Kursk, the place Ukrainians troops have occupied some territory however suffered heavy losses. European international locations “have to have a part in this negotiation as well because, as we see, all Europe is afraid of Russia and they don’t want the same scenario that we have.”
Shyrshyn mentioned he thought each of Ukraine’s main targets — the restoration of its Russian-occupied territories and membership within the NATO navy alliance — could be attainable if the Trump administration “would support us with all their power.”
“If the USA is not willing to support us, we will have more deaths, more losses,” he mentioned, “but we will continue to fight, because it’s a question of our existence.”