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In western Ukraine, residents say that despite ongoing peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, they are prepared for a long war.
They say they will not accept a peace deal that gives Russia territories, even if their leaders can eventually reach an agreement. VOA’s Heather Murdock brings the latest news from Ternopil and Lviv to Ukraine.
In Ternopil, a city in western Ukraine filled with displaced families, aid workers are preparing food, clothing and other necessities for local war victims and sending them east, where fighting still continues despite talks. continuous peace.
Many of them say they do not want a peace agreement that would give Russia territory, so they are preparing for the war to last for months or even longer.
“We do not want these peace talks to end in an agreement that would be bad for Ukraine. “We want to liberate our land and for that we are ready to fight to the end.” says Ivanna Hoshii, a resident of Ternopil.
Religious leaders in the area echo popular sentiment, but they worry about the devastating impact the war has already had on Ukrainian fighters and civilians, including millions fleeing.
“War brings chaos and destruction. People are ruined inside as cities are destroyed. You are no longer the same man after the war“, Says Mykola Kwich, military chaplain.
The big cities in the east now look abandoned. Regions in the west, like the city of Lviv, are full of displaced people, many of them separated from their loved ones.
“The girl and the children are in Slovakia. “The eldest daughter is in Kiev and my son-in-law and I are here in Lviv.” says Lyubava, a displaced farmer.
She hopes the war will end soon because farmers need to start planting if there is to be a harvest this year.
Aid workers in Ternopil say they fear Ukraine could be left in an endless war. While they may reject the idea of giving up Ukrainian land, some volunteers say they still support peace talks.
“You always have to raise your voice. Smart people need to talk because human nature was created for humans to communicate. “That is why we must do everything we can to reach a ceasefire.” says Roman Demush, a priest who is giving his help.
He says that when leaders negotiate, it reduces violence on the ground. But other clerics warn that if an agreement is reached, it will only be valid if people keep the promises made in the pact./VOA
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