‘Many People Died, And What For?’: Ukrainians Increasingly Willing To Make Peace With Russia As War Rages On

Ukrainians are increasingly open to negotiating an end to the war with Russia, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.

The growing frustration with the war is leading more Ukrainians to consider the possibility of a negotiated peace. In July, a Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) survey found that about 44% of Ukrainians are open to territorial concessions to achieve peace and preserve independence, according to The New York Times.

Nadia Ivashchenko, 28, a railway signal operator from central Kirovohrad, admitted she couldn’t outline what a favorable peace settlement would look like. Her husband has been serving in the army since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and their five-year-old son has not seen his father for years. “So many people died, and what for?” Ivashchenko said. “But I want everything to be finished, at least somehow, because I have a son, and I don’t want him to grow up in such a wartime as now,” according to The New York Times.

The KIIS poll reveals that between May 2022 and May 2023, roughly 8% to 10% of respondents were open to territorial concessions, while a significant majority, 82% to 87%, consistently opposed them. However, since May 2023, more people have become willing to consider concessions. By the end of 2023, 19% were ready to make concessions; this figure grew to 26% by February, and increased to 32% in May.

Kateryna Predchenko, Olha’s 85-year-old mother, criticized her daughter for being open to a deal and believed that Ukrainian soldiers should continue fighting, according to The New York Times. “It’s not just Ukraine, they protect the whole world,” she said. ” Why doesn’t the world want to understand this? We need everyone to rise up against this Russian idiot.”

In the southern region heavily impacted by the war, the shift in attitude over the past year has been notable, according to the poll. More than half of those surveyed either supported ceding some territory or were uncertain, while only 46% opposed any concessions. This marks a significant change from a year ago when 86% in the area covering Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, Kherson and Odesa said they were against giving any territory to Russia, according to The New York Times.

Signing a peace agreement with Russia to end the war with Ukraine would amount to signing “a deal with the devil”, a top adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as pressure increases on the country to resolve the ongoing conflict that has lasted for over two years, The New York Times reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in June he would agree to a cease-fire and engage in talks with Ukraine only if Zelenskyy withdrew from the region claimed by Moscow. Ukraine rejected this offer, viewing it as a call for surrender, according to The New York Times.

Despite receiving over $70 billion from the Biden administration, Ukraine’s military capabilities are still inferior to those of Russia. The country faces a growing shortage of personnel and lacks the advanced military equipment and weapons that Russia has.

The Pentagon unveiled a new aid package on Monday consisting of $200 million worth of weapons and supplies to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and allies met to negotiate this aid deal amid growing challenges in Washington regarding continued military and financial aid to Ukraine, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Featured image credit: (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders)