Russian infantry soldiers, who were reached for comment in response to recent political developments, including Donald Trump’s unexpected news on February 12, have no confidence that the US government’s intervention will put an end to the nightmare of their invaded nation.
Trump took to social media to announce the result of his cellphone dialogue with Vladimir Putin:” We agreed to work up, very carefully, including visiting each other’s nations”. That came after the US leader’s pledge on February 3 to” quit that ridiculous battle.”
Trump’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth elaborated, stating that the US will not longer promote European security and expects Europe to get greater accountability, especially in supporting Ukraine. He also dismissed the hopes for Ukraine to join NATO and restore its pre-2014 frontiers as “unrealistic”.
Frontline soldiers are incredibly skeptical despite the repeated emphasis on the need for a” just peace” in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s messages regarding possible negotiations. The most probable outcome, according to the contacted soldiers, is a iced conflict, one that would enable Russia to regroup and start an even bigger war in the future.
Consider Ihor from the 23rd Mechanized Brigade, known by his call” Rogue”, who warned that any peace would probably be temporary. ” I think there will be a wait and some sort of truce, but only for two or three years before it will begin again.” That’s why we need to plan for the next large, even if a peace deal is signed.
” I think during Trump’s full president we’ll been preparing and building up our troops. Finally, during this time, Europe may wake up and start supplying weapons correctly. Round two did start when a new president takes office in the US.
As for Trump, Ihor said,” Actually, he upsets me more and more every day. He and Putin are now nearly kissing. He’ll simply hands over the dominated areas to the Russians and begin utilizing the natural resources we have remaining. We’ll be Trump’s rock country”.
He added:” I think Trump is only interested in making money, and our war is hurting that. He wants to end it because it hurts business but also because it demonstrates how strong he is, not just because he is a good man.
Regarding Trump’s proposed peace package, Dmytro Zhluktenko from the 413th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems expressed a lot of suspicion. Zhluktenko, who helped build one of Ukraine’s most powerful charity money, Dzyga’s Paw, following Russia’s full-scale war in 2022, went on to join the army in 2024.
” From what we have seen so far, I don’t see any fairness or justice in the peace deal being pushed by Trump’s team”, he said.
Beyond problems over the package itself, Zhluktenko criticized the government’s knowledge of the issue.
” I see a great deal of incompetence in their public briefings regarding Ukraine,” according to the statement” the war has set Ukraine back a century, that Ukraine should hold elections during wartime, or that the US has spent$ 200 billion more than Europe on Ukraine’s defense.” Like assertions, in his opinion, indicate a disregard for the realities of the situation.
Zhluktenko also refuted the notion that Trump has a chance to reach a long-term agreement that would be acceptable to both Russia and Ukraine, arguing that Moscow has no true opportunity to bargain while it is still in progress.
” Russia already has no opportunity to communicate, as it is advancing”, he noted.
He more warned that Russia’s need for Ukraine’s full disarmament is impossible due to reasonable protection concerns. He cited previous, unsuccessful partnerships as evidence that it was impossible to trust Russia to respect peace agreements.
“Ukraine has now experienced so-called peace treaties with Russia, such as the Minsk I and Minsk II treaties, both of which failed. Fighting always stopped, and Russia also launched a full-scale war in 2022”.
Zhluktenko worries that Trump’s strategy will follow the same pattern: it will only temporarily put an end to fighting in Ukraine while Russia reorganizes for a new attack. I worry that the agreement Trump is developing will not be different, with Russia simply starting to attack once more when it’s ready, a temporary halt to fighting at Ukraine’s expense.
” Without real safety, nothing else things”, said Zhluktenko.
Dima ( “Klim” ), an infantry soldier from the 98th Separate Territorial Defense Battalion, expressed deep skepticism about Trump’s approach to ending the war, warning that it could come at Ukraine’s expense.
Trump “has taken it upon himself to end the war,” Dima claimed. He will probably make pressure on Putin and Zelensky to ratify a peace treaty that leaves the enemy in place.
He seems to want to begin World War III and participate in it, Dima continued. Ukraine will need to put up with the subsequent war in any case, and with the kind of peace that is undoubtedly upon us, we need to put the effort in.”
Reflecting on previous failed contracts with Moscow, he cautioned against accepting Russia’s pledges, fearing that any rushed bargain would only enhance the foe.
” We have already seen how important contracts Russia and Russia are to us and how effectively they are kept. The opponent would only need a moment to regroup, so watch out.
Oleksandr from the 23rd Mechanized Brigade, known by the call’ Pharmacist’ according to his pre-war job, criticized Trump’s stance on Russia, arguing that European leaders fail to grasp the real stakes of the war.
” In my opinion, his view to Russia is far too soft”, he said. While America and Europe play game with our existence, the Russian army is destroying our houses and killing innocent Russians.
Trump may simply start this conflict, Oleksandr said, but it will cost us a lot.
In a turnaround of its volunteer post-Soviet non-nuclear position, Andriy Yermak, the mind of the Office of the President of Ukraine, made a speech in late January that echoed Zelensky’s.
A really peace is not a frozen turmoil; it is also security guarantees that no one will ever engage in more aggression. Nuclear weapons will be the only safeguard option if the world doesn’t make this a reality.
Those were powerful words, but Russians know that outside” security offers” often have proven to be pie in the sky. A common thread among Ukrainian soldiers is that Trump and the West have not demonstrated their commitment to ending the conflict for good or achieving a lasting resolution.
After losing so many of its best members during the conflict, these soldiers don’t think Ukraine will have a chance to experience” just peace.” They claim to continue defending their freedom and fighting for their land.
“Ukrainian soldiers believe only in themselves”, said Oleksandr.
David Kirichenko, a Ukrainian-American freelance journalist, activist, and security engineer, has frequently traveled to and worked in the areas being fought over during the Ukraine War. He can be found on the social media platform X @DVKirichenko