Frontline Ukrainian soldiers who were reached for comment in response to recent diplomatic developments, including Donald Trump’s shock announcement of February 12, hold out zero hope that the US president’s intervention will end their invaded country’s nightmare.
Trump took to social media to announce the outcome of his phone conversation with Vladimir Putin: “We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s nations.” That followed the US leader’s February 3 vow to “stop that ridiculous war.”
Trump’s Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth elaborated, stating that the US will no longer prioritize European security and expects Europe to take greater responsibility, particularly in supporting Ukraine. He also dismissed the prospects for Ukraine to join NATO and restore its pre-2014 borders as “unrealistic.”
While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized the need for a “just peace” in his messaging around potential negotiations, frontline troops are deeply skeptical. Soldiers contacted consider the most likely outcome to be a frozen conflict, one that would allow Russia to regroup and launch an even larger war in the future.
Take Ihor from the 23rd Mechanized Brigade, known by his callsign “Rogue,” who warned that any truce would likely be temporary.“I believe there will be a pause and some kind of truce, but only for two or three years, and then it will start again. That’s why we need to prepare for the second round, even if a peace deal is signed.
“I think during Trump’s entire presidency we’ll be preparing and building up our forces. Hopefully, during this time, Europe will wake up and start supplying weapons properly. And when a new president comes to power in the US, round two will begin.
As for Trump, Ihor said, “Honestly, he shocks me more and more every day. He and Putin are practically kissing already. He’ll just hand over the occupied territories to the Russians and start extracting whatever natural resources we have left. We’ll become Trump’s quarry country.”
He added: “I think Trump is only interested in making money, and our war is hurting that. He wants to end it not because he is a good person but because it harms business – and also to show the world how tough he is.”
Dmytro Zhluktenko from the 413th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems, expressed deep skepticism about Trump’s proposed peace deal. Zhluktenko, who helped establish one of Ukraine’s most successful charity funds, Dzyga’s Paw, following Russia’s full-scale invasion 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 concerns over the deal itself, Zhluktenko criticized the administration’s understanding of the conflict.
“I see a great deal of incompetence in their public briefings regarding Ukraine – claims that 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.” According to him, such statements indicate a lack of awareness about the realities on the ground.
Zhluktenko also dismissed the idea that Trump can achieve a lasting peace that would be acceptable to both Ukraine and Russia, arguing that Moscow has no real incentive to negotiate while it continues to advance.
“Russia currently has no incentive to negotiate, as it is advancing,” he noted.
He further warned that Russia’s demand for Ukraine’s full disarmament is unrealistic due to legitimate security concerns. He pointed to past failed agreements as proof that Russia cannot be trusted to honor peace deals.
“Ukraine has already experienced so-called peace agreements with Russia, such as the Minsk I and Minsk II accords, both of which failed. Fighting never stopped, and Russia still launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.”
Zhluktenko fears Trump’s plan would follow the same pattern – offering only a temporary halt in fighting at Ukraine’s expense while Russia regroups for another attack. “I fear the deal Trump is working on will be no different – a temporary halt in fighting at Ukraine’s expense, only for Russia to attack again when it’s ready.”
“Without real security, nothing else matters,” 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 stop the war without ensuring the means to restore justice,” Dima said. “He will likely pressure Zelensky and Putin into signing a peace agreement that leaves part of the country to the enemy.”
“It feels like he wants to start World War III and take part in it,” Dima added. “Ukraine will have to prepare for the next war in any case, and with the kind of truce that obviously awaits us, we need to prepare with maximum effort.”
Reflecting on past failed agreements with Moscow, he cautioned against trusting Russia’s commitments, fearing that any rushed deal would only strengthen the enemy.
“We have already seen many times what agreements with Russia are worth and how well it abides by them. This would only be a pause for the enemy to regroup.”
Oleksandr from the 23rd Mechanized Brigade, known by the callsign ‘Pharmacist’ due to his pre-war occupation, criticized Trump’s stance on Russia, arguing that Western leaders fail to grasp the true stakes of the war.
“In my opinion, his approach to Russia is far too soft,” he said. “The Russian army is wiping out our homes and killing innocent Ukrainians, while America and Europe play games with our lives.”
“Trump might only freeze this war, but it would come at a great cost to us,” Oleksandr said.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, in late January echoed a Zelensky speech made in Brussels October 17 when the president floated the option of calling upon the country’s capacity to resume manufacturing nuclear weapons in a reversal of its voluntary post-Soviet non-nuclear status:
Just peace is not a frozen conflict but security guarantees that make further aggression impossible. If the world fails to ensure this, the only defense option will be nuclear weapons, which we want to avoid.
Those were strong words, but Ukrainians know that external “security guarantees” often have proven to be pie in the sky. A common theme shared among Ukrainian soldiers is that Trump and the West have not shown they are serious about truly ending the war for good or securing a lasting settlement.
These soldiers don’t believe Ukraine will receive a “just peace” after losing so many of its best people in the war. They say they are prepared to keep fighting for their land and preserving their freedom.
“Ukrainian soldiers believe only in themselves,” said Oleksandr.
David Kirichenko is a Ukrainian-American freelance journalist, activist and security engineer who, multiple times during the Ukraine War, has traveled to and worked in the areas being fought over. He can be found on the social media platform X @DVKirichenko
