“A peace that feels like surrender?”. It’s a question echoing in Ukrainian media and on the streets of Kiev as Donald Trump’s controversial 28-point peace plan, and its possible changes, enters the national debate.
Presented as an opportunity to end endless war, the initiative aroused more skepticism than enthusiasm. According to major newspapers and local analysts, the plan makes major concessions to Ukraine: recognizing territories under Russian control, reducing the army to 600 thousand units and abandoning future NATO membership, and enshrining this choice in the Constitution. These security assurances, although foreseeable, were deemed vague and inadequate, raising doubts about the true reliability of America’s partners. Kiev media did not hesitate to call the document a “Russian wish list”, an attempt to put pressure on Ukraine to accept unfavorable conditions. The most skeptical groups argue that the plan is not much different from Putin’s request to President Trump before the Alaska summit. “Ukraine has once again been invited to sign the surrender,” wrote the Kyiv Independent. Therefore, all eyes are on Geneva, for the EU’s counter-proposal.
But the issue is not just a political issue: it is a very human issue. After nearly four years of bombing, the Ukrainian population is living the war in its most dramatic daily life. Power cuts, water and heating rationing make winter increasingly intolerable, as schools and hospitals struggle to function. Families trembled for their sons, brothers and fathers who were on the front lines. Fatigue mixed with fear: in addition to those who struggled and resisted, there were also those who tried to escape the call to take up arms or leave the country (almost 107 thousand), overcome by despair. What’s more, the battlefield has no way out. Ukraine is heading towards a strategic defeat that can no longer be masked by the general staff’s propaganda campaign, nor by the government’s efforts to minimize the gravity of the situation. Ukrainian war bloggers wrote that Moscow’s armed forces destroyed Kiev’s air defense system faster than the West could supply it.
Despite everything, society seems unwilling to accept peace at any cost. The dominant narrative is that the country is cautious, wants a fair deal, and does not undermine sovereignty and security. Any compromise perceived as surrender risks fueling anger and distrust, as society continues to tally the tragic death toll. In Ternopil, the number of victims from the bombing of an apartment building that occurred last Tuesday is getting worse: 34 confirmed victims and 6 missing. In the southeast region, the conflict has remained intense in the last few hours. Russia claims the conquest of small towns in the Dnipropetrovsk and Donetsk regions, while Ukraine claims to maintain its position, especially in Pokrovsk.
During the night, 98 Russian drones attacked several locations, causing injury and damage: 14 people in Dnipro, including a child. Russia is also under attack: a fire destroys the Shatura thermoelectric power plant, confirming that the war is taking place on multiple fronts, between heaven, earth and infrastructure.
