Ukrainian Soldiers Reject Trump's Peace Plan and Call for More International Support
Lviv (Ukraine), Nov 27. — Ukrainian soldiers yearn for peace but warn that concessions proposed in the U.S. peace plan would only strengthen Russia and encourage it to continue its aggression.
“If we hand over Donetsk (in the east), the Russians will eventually reach Lviv (in the far west of Ukraine),” warns Vovk.
Other soldiers have different opinions.
“Everyone here wants this senseless war to end. But we will not make concessions that will only strengthen Russia and encourage it to continue its aggression,” he says.
Soldiers who spoke with EFE from their positions urge Ukraine's foreign partners to send more aid to improve their situation on the front line and strengthen Kyiv's negotiating position.
“Talks about Russian demands—which include Ukraine's withdrawal from the Donetsk area it still controls, a veto on its NATO membership, and limitations on the size of its army—are just empty words,” says Vasil Vovk of the 36th Ukrainian Army Brigade.
“The Russians will never agree to stop the invasion and begin real negotiations unless they suffer a strong blow.”
“Things are difficult, but the situation is by no means as dramatic as Trump's advisors paint it,” he declares.
In his opinion, Washington and other partners of Ukraine can help tip the scales in Kyiv's favor with an increase in arms shipments and intelligence information.
Vovk is also convinced that Ukraine's entry into NATO would only strengthen the Alliance.
“This would contribute to strengthening NATO against Russia,” he emphasizes.
“All our history teaches us this,” he says via video conference, wearing a bulletproof vest, Vovk, who is an astronomer by profession in civilian life.
‘No’ to Concessions
Ceding Donetsk would be a “huge mistake,” like the one the allies made when they “allowed” Nazi Germany to capture the Czechoslovak Sudetenland region in 1938 in a vain attempt to prevent World War II, argues Vovk.
“This would serve as a springboard for Russia to attack other areas,” the soldier stresses.
Vovk rejects the idea—attributed to Donald Trump's inner circle—that Kyiv is doomed to inevitable defeat if it does not accept the proposed concessions.
“There will only be real security on the continent when we share our experience with allies, from Finland to Turkey,” he notes.
The loss of U.S. support if Ukraine rejects an unfavorable agreement would have consequences, he acknowledges, but it would not end Ukrainian resistance.
“At the same time, we need more military assistance and more sanctions from Europe and the U.S.,” he says.
“It is an enormous loss of resources, and this land will be poisoned for many years,” says Sergeant Anatoli, fighting in the Kharkiv region, while showing a large drone he managed to shoot down before it attacked his vehicle.
After more than three and a half years of combat, this former construction worker is still aware of the need to stop the Russians before they approach his native region of Volyn (west).
Nevertheless, Anatoli is increasingly open to making concessions if they lead to a real end to the war and guarantee the survival of Ukrainian identity.
“The only thing that might be unacceptable is to make the Russian language an official state language on a par with Ukrainian,” he affirms.
However, Anatoli is not sure how to force Russia to finally give up its intention to subjugate Ukraine.
A Long Fight Ahead
If the Russians keep Ukrainian territories, says Viktor, a drone engineer from Lviv who was mobilized six months ago, they will believe the war is justified.
“It will motivate them and their future generations to continue their aggression against neighboring countries,” he tells EFE.
Viktor believes that accepting Russian conditions would only give Ukraine a brief pause that Russia would use to prepare a new invasion under better conditions than a much-depleted Ukraine.
The military engineer believes Ukraine will have to fight for a long time to achieve acceptable peace terms, which in his view must be at a minimum a return to the pre-invasion borders.
Like other soldiers, Viktor acknowledges the many challenges facing his army, among them difficulties in finding enough soldiers and giving troops rest.
