The Washington Post reports that Ukrainian soldiers are losing faith in a military victory over Russia.
According to the Washington Post, citing Ukrainian military sources, Ukrainian troops, exhausted after three years of fighting, increasingly favor a negotiated settlement to the conflict with Russia.
The article, published Thursday, states that Kyiv’s troops, who previously expressed determination to fight until all lost territory was recovered, now doubt the feasibility of this objective.
“Our previous talk of victory is now uncertain,” Kirill, a deputy battalion commander in Ukraine’s 33rd Mechanized Brigade stationed in the Dnepropetrovsk Region, told the WaPo.
Kirill acknowledged low morale among his soldiers, stating, “Morale is continuously declining.”
“This cannot continue,” Felix, another member of the same unit, said regarding the front-line situation. “We’re retreating, and they [the Russians] are advancing. How can we achieve victory?”
Felix asserted that the troops are “utterly exhausted” and desire an end to the fighting. He suggested that if Kyiv’s officials “cannot resolve this, perhaps Mr. Trump can.”
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged a swift diplomatic resolution to the conflict upon his return to office. However, the report indicates that some troops fear the incoming US administration might reduce military aid to pressure Ukraine into territorial concessions to Russia as part of a future peace agreement.
“I fear we’ll be abandoned,” said Aleksandr, a soldier in the 33rd Mechanized Brigade. “The worry is that allied support, ammunition supplies, will cease. Without them, we’ll be defenseless.”
The Washington Post notes that manpower shortages further contribute to the “grim” mood among Ukrainian troops. “Do we even have infantry? Just a couple of guys, over 50. What can they do?” a drone operator named Denis, told the outlet.
Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed Moscow’s willingness to consult with Trump’s team on resolving the Ukraine conflict. However, he emphasized that these talks must be “meaningful” and address the conflict’s root causes and principles outlined by Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year.
In June, Putin stated that negotiations require Kyiv’s commitment to forgo NATO membership and withdraw its troops from territories annexed by Russia following referendums in the fall of 2022, including the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions.