1 week Ago
With the world bracing for Donald Trump’s second presidency, it’s an uncertain time for everyone, but especially for Ukrainians. We’re entering our third winter of full-scale war with Russia, and it’s harder than ever to know where we will be next spring. On Day 1 of the invasion, Volodymyr Zelensky famously told the US: “I need ammunition, not a ride.
” One phrase was enough to communicate Ukraine’s fighting spirit to the world. For months, Zelensky was a hero, always in the news. But 33 months in, Ukraine is lower down the agenda.
And while we still need ammo, and much else besides, our requests for help no longer seem to carry the same weight. There’s a well-known phrase in diplomatic circles: “Ukraine fatigue”. Many Western policymakers and commentators imply that Ukraine is just too big, too complicated to support — wouldn’t it be nice not to have to deal with it any more? This view has been gaining strength in the US for months.
Donald Trump and JD Vance fuelled the narrative that supporting Ukraine is a waste of money, and Trump previously promised to “end the war in 24 hours”. Admittedly, he tends to exaggerate, but Ukrainians fear he will try to force through a peace deal on highly unfavourable terms. Everyone is tired, not least in Ukraine.
And yes, everyone would like it to be over. But that’s not how the world works. Ukrainian soldiers in a trench near the frontline in the Kharkiv region.
Photo by Roman Pilipey/AFP via Getty Images Ukraine and its partners seem to be forgetting different things. We Ukrainians need to remember not only to be demanding of our partners, but also to express our gratitude. I can speak for all Ukrainians when I say that without you, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.
Without all those weapons, ammo and aid, Ukraine would only be left on old maps. Without the millions across Europe who welcomed Ukrainians into their countries, their homes, we would have been nowhere. We are so, so grateful that there is no way to put it into words.
But we also understand that now is not the time to stop, and this is what the West needs to remember. Ukraine has survived thanks to Western support, but if support is withdrawn and Ukraine falls, it will be worse for everyone down the line. Putin won’t be the only autocrat to conclude that he can now capture other countries’ territory at will.
History is full of examples of how appeasing violent bullies only fuels their appetites. Will Trump really end the war in a day, even if he withdraws all US support? The short answer is no. If Western support drops, the war will get even harder, and Ukraine will almost certainly lose more territory.
But even if the men and women in the trenches are exhausted, they are not ready to give up, and nor is the rest of the country. Because we know what we’re fighting for. Because they understand what so many Westerners still don’t want to admit: that Russia only understands fear and power, and a ‘peace deal’ will not stop it — it will only give it space to prepare for the next invasion.
It may be too simplistic to say that it won’t be the Pentagon or Brussels or even Moscow that ends the war, but those in the trenches. Most wars end in negotiations, and of course Ukrainians want peace. But we want a true peace, and a deal without proper security guarantees is no peace at all.
If your neighbour took over your kitchen with guns, and then got the police to agree not to protect you, would you believe them if they promised not to take over your living room next? And so, no matter who’s in the White House, Ukrainians will keep fighting until we believe that a true peace is possible. Because there’s nothing else we can do. We hope you understand.
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