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Share your views on the Ukraine-Russia peace process and the Trump administration-led peace negotiations so far

The Ukraine-Russia peace process is incredibly complex, especially after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Any real peace talks must be based on international law, Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and accountability for war crimes. Without these, any so-called “peace” would just be a temporary pause before another wave of aggression.

As for the Trump administration’s role, I don’t approve of the fact that contacts with the aggressor happened before engaging with Ukraine. That sent the wrong message and did nothing to strengthen security guarantees. In reality, the U.S. made no real effort to address the war in Ukraine during Trump’s first term from 2016 to 2020. No serious diplomatic or strategic steps were taken to counter Russian aggression.

Trump may claim that he could have prevented the war in 2022, but that’s highly unrealistic. Either he wouldn’t have cared—just as he didn’t care during his first term—or his approach would have been to appease Russia rather than deter it. Instead of confronting the aggressor, he likely would have weakened Ukraine, making future conflict even more inevitable.

Whether you are a Ukrainian living in Ukraine or abroad, what is your view on president Zelenskyy and the prospect of having elections in Ukraine?

President Zelenskyy has been a key figure in Ukraine’s resistance against Russia’s full-scale invasion, and there’s no denying his role in uniting the country during the most critical moments. However, like any leader, he’s not above criticism, and there are valid concerns about certain political decisions, including those related to governance, transparency, and media freedom.

As for elections, under the current conditions, holding them wouldn’t be realistic or beneficial. With martial law in place, millions of Ukrainians displaced, and soldiers fighting on the front lines, ensuring a fair and democratic process is nearly impossible. Security risks, logistical challenges, and the potential for Russian interference make elections unfeasible at this stage.

If elections were to be held, it wouldn't make sense to elect only a new president. Every elected position—parliament, mayors, and even local councils—would need to be re-elected since all their terms have expired. Organizing elections on such a massive scale would require ensuring that all military personnel can participate both as voters and as candidates, which is simply unrealistic during wartime. On top of that, it would create an administrative collapse across all sectors of the government, leading to total chaos and, ultimately, a devastating loss in the war.

Right now, Ukraine's priority should be victory and survival, not political campaigns. Elections will be necessary in the future, but only when they can be held freely, safely, and fairly—without compromising the country’s stability in the middle of a war.

What are your main concerns?

It’s not entirely clear whether you mean personal concerns or broader issues, so I’ll answer from a citizen’s perspective regarding Ukraine’s main challenges.

There are problems in every area—economy, governance, infrastructure, and more. However, all of these can either be addressed after the war or managed internally without external assistance. The only issue where Ukraine truly needs help from the U.S. is Russia. Ukraine simply cannot defeat such an enemy alone.

Russia is the very reason NATO was created in the first place, and no country in the world has ever managed to defeat such an adversary using conventional means on its own. Without sufficient support, Ukraine's survival is at serious risk, and this is the one problem where external help is absolutely critical.

І тут попросили просто щось ще додати, якщо є шо сказати

The biggest concern is that if Russia isn’t stopped and held accountable now, this war will repeat itself—maybe not in Ukraine, but elsewhere. Next time, it could be a NATO country, like one of the Baltics or even Poland. And the uncomfortable truth is that even NATO itself doesn’t seem fully confident that it would respond if Russia attacked one of its smaller members.

Poland, for example, is heavily investing in its military, but having weapons isn’t enough—you need people willing to fight. And I’m not sure Polish society, or most European nations, are mentally prepared to die for their country in a real war. If history has taught us anything, it’s that appeasement never works. The Munich Agreement of 1938 tried to satisfy Hitler, but it only encouraged him, leading to the deadliest war in European history.

The only thing that stops an aggressor is force. If Russia isn’t stopped now, the world is only postponing a much bigger war—one that could involve even more countries and cost millions of lives.