Editor’s note: After Trump dragged Ukraine and Russia into “negotiations,” many people abroad got the impression that the war was about to end.
However, in reality, we are as far from its conclusion as ever.
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Donald Trump first vowed to end the war in 24 hours.
Then, he gave it several weeks.
After that deadline came and went, he gave Russia’s Vladimir Putin a deadline for a ceasefire that once again was ignored: a promise to impose secondary sanctions on August 8th if there was no peace deal.
Today marks one month since Trump's deadline. But nothing came of it — except Putin breaking out of international isolation.
No peace agreement, no ceasefire, no bilateral, no trilateral, no new sanctions – no substantive progress of any kind.
For Ukrainians, 72 percent of whom already consider Trump's presidency harmful to their country, according to the Kyiv International Institute for Sociology, it was another data point that showed they shouldn’t take these ‘peace talks’ seriously.
But for Americans, it should be a shame to see the credibility of the White House diminished by a man who waves around threats but never follows through. This weak response encourages other authoritarian governments to ignore U.S. warnings and sets a dangerous example of impunity for bad actors.
Liudmyla decided to join the military about a year ago, when she became head of the ‘Khartia’ patronage service, a support service that exists (or is being established) in every Ukrainian brigade. It cares for soldiers and their families when they’ve been wounded, killed, taken prisoner, or gone missing in action.
For her, it was just a distraction from what really matters. She was too busy consoling the devastated family members of soldiers killed defending Ukraine and ensuring that the wounded received proper treatment.
“When I attend a burial or visit family, I can literally feel the weight of the father’s grief. It feels as if you could touch it with your fingers,” said Liudmyla.
All the fuss over Trump and his negotiations with Putin is just background noise for her — and this is now the reality for many Ukrainians.
After paywall:
What do support services do in Ukrainian units?
What were the consequences of Trump's decision to meet with Putin?
Why does Liudmila, like many other Ukrainians, not believe in a quick end to the Russian-Ukrainian war?
What is the most difficult part of working in the brigade’s support services?
