After nearly three years of enduring relentless Russian airstrikes and a grueling military campaign, many Ukrainians desperately longed for an end to the war. However, they now fear peace may come on unfavorable terms.
Top U.S. and Russian officials are set to meet Tuesday in Saudi Arabia to discuss a resolution—without Ukraine’s participation—leaving many Ukrainians frustrated and concerned about being sidelined.
“We are being destroyed, Ukraine is suffering, Ukraine is fighting. And our president is not involved?” said 71-year-old Lidiia Odyntsova, expressing disbelief at the upcoming talks. “We are the victims. We should have the leading voice in these negotiations.”
Standing tearfully beside a snow-covered memorial to fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Kyiv, she added: “I will not forgive them! Never!”
While Ukraine will not be present at Tuesday’s talks, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce reassured that any formal peace negotiations would involve Ukraine.
Still, recent developments in the U.S. have only heightened anxieties. Ukrainian social media has been flooded with unease, and many remain glued to their phones for updates.
Last week, U.S. President Donald Trump stunned both sides of the Atlantic by agreeing via phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin to initiate negotiations—abruptly upending Washington’s long-standing efforts to isolate Moscow over its invasion. On the same day, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that NATO membership for Ukraine was unrealistic and suggested Kyiv should reconsider its goal of reclaiming all Russian-occupied territories. His remarks aligned closely with Moscow’s stance, further undermining Ukraine’s negotiating position.
For a nation already struggling against Russia’s larger military, Hegseth’s comments delivered a sobering blow to two key Ukrainian aspirations. While war-weary citizens overwhelmingly support ending the conflict, they remain steadfast that peace must not come at the expense of those living under Russian occupation or at the risk of future aggression.
Speaking on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff declined to answer directly when asked whether Ukraine would have to cede “a significant portion” of its land. “Those are details, and I’m not dismissive of the details—they’re important. But the first step is trust-building,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the upcoming talks, calling them futile in the absence of Ukrainian officials.
Meanwhile, 59-year-old soldier Valerii Semenii feared the worst.
“Trump is leading us toward world war because the aggressor cannot be pacified,” he warned. “He doesn’t know history. Maybe today you appease Putin, but tomorrow it provokes a global conflict. There’s nothing else to say about these negotiations.”
That sentiment is widely shared among Ukraine’s government and population. Many believe that ending the war without establishing long-term security guarantees would simply give Moscow time to regroup and launch future offensives—both in Ukraine and across the region.
“Russia isn’t just a threat to Ukraine,” said Oleksandr Shyrshyn, a battalion commander fighting in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops have made advances but suffered heavy losses. “European countries need a role in these talks, too, because all of Europe fears Russia. They don’t want to face what we are facing.”
Shyrshyn remains hopeful that Ukraine’s key goals—reclaiming occupied territories and joining NATO—are still possible, but only if the U.S. fully supports them.
“If the U.S. refuses to stand with us, there will be more deaths, more losses,” he said. “But we will keep fighting—because this is about our survival.”
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