War-Stricken Ukrainians Fight US Fatigue, Caution

KYIV, Ukraine – The streets here carry messages for the United States and Western allies. A common plea is a call to strength: “Be brave like Ukraine.”

Others are more direct. “Kharkiv is drowning in Red Union tears and blood,” reads one poster, calling on the US to close the skies over Ukraine.

But even after more than two years of war, there are no signs of despair in Ukraine’s capital. Ukrainians remain determined to defeat Russian despot Vladimir Putin and optimistic about their military’s ability to confront the invading forces.

This is in stark contrast to the US, which has become increasingly divided over support for Ukraine as Russia has gained momentum in the war. And there is growing frustration with U.S. caution and suggestions from some that Ukraine should seek a peace deal that cedes land to Putin.

“There is no political decision that will lead Ukraine to victory,” said Andiriy, who did not reveal his surname. “The end of the war will be when Ukraine wins.”

Andiriy and his wife, Inna, lost neighbors at the start of the war when Russia invaded the Kiev suburb of Bucha where they lived.

Moscow was accused of war crimes in Bucha, including the deliberate murder of civilians, many of them buried in mass graves found after the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Andiriy said the first week of the war was like a “nightmare.” Her family lost a house in the war, but has a second house to live in on the outskirts of Bucha.

Andiriy expressed confidence in Ukraine but said Kiev needs to be able to attack inside Russia with U.S. weapons, a policy President Biden partially suspended in recent days.

“The aggressor only understands force,” he said. “What we need is to use the weapons you give us.”

Ukraine fought Russia for more than two years, far exceeding global expectations. But the hope sparked by two surprise counter-offensives that regained territory last year has now faded in a struggling defence.

Russian forces are suffering heavy losses for small gains, but they are advancing across the 600-mile front in eastern Ukraine, from the Donetsk region to the northeastern Kharkiv province.

Ukraine desperately needs more weapons and fighters to turn the tide of the war. Although Kiev has lowered the draft eligibility age from 27 to 25, it is unclear how many soldiers this will add to its fighting force.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has so far refrained from issuing a likely unpopular mobilization decree to call up some 500,000 troops, something the military has already recommended doing.

Zhanna Savostianova, whose son is on the front line, said she supports the mobilization, but added that it should be aimed at those who are inspired to defend the country.

“We need mobilization, of course, because we need to protect our country,” she said, but “we need to mobilize those who are ready to fight. It would be the best choice.”

Savostianova has videos saved on her phone that her son sent her from the front lines, including one for Mother’s Day where he sang with his fellow fighters.

However, Savostianova is not tired of the war, even though her son is still fighting. She said Ukraine must retake all of its territory, including Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

“I wouldn’t give anything to the Moscow guys,” Savostianova said. “Many of our men died in combat, so we cannot forget that and give Russia what they want. So that would mean they would die for nothing. It is unacceptable.”

The US finally sent new military aid to Ukraine after approving a $61 billion package in April, but this came after months of delays due to a Congressional shutdown by far-right Republicans.

These Republicans could impede further relief efforts, having already promised to block further legislation after the April law passes. And former President Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential candidate who leads Biden in the polls, spoke of ending the war within 24 hours, allegedly with an effort that would involve ceding territory to Russia.

But war fatigue in Washington appears to be avoiding most Ukrainians.

“If Ukraine cedes these territories, Russia will not stop,” said Tatiania. “It’s like a big deal. [Russia] you will go further and you will want more.”

Tatiana’s husband died while defending the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which Russia destroyed in the early days of the war, when he was fighting to defend the Azovstal steel plant. She gave only her first name.

Tatiana stressed that without US help, Ukraine could be completely occupied. She shared her own harrowing story, which involved fleeing Mariupol with her son, now 15, after her husband’s death.

She moved to her parents’ house on the outskirts of Mariupol, but fled again after Russian authorities began to consolidate control over the region. She passed through Russia, Belarus and Poland before returning to Kiev with her son. Tatiana said she was questioned by Russian authorities but was never detained.

But even in Kiev, she said life has not returned to normal amid Russian bombings. “There is no quiet place in Ukraine.”

Along with the frustration behind the U.S. weapons delay, Ukrainian officials have increased calls for Biden to let them strike inside Russia with those weapons.

Scrutiny over arms policy intensified after Russia’s May offensive in Kharkiv, which saw Moscow mass troops and fire rockets from the neighboring Russian region of Belgorod, safe from any US weapons attacks.

The Biden administration announced Thursday that it would allow Ukraine to strike some Russian targets inside Russia near Kharkiv with U.S. weapons, but the ban is still widely enforced.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called on allies to lift such restrictions in a speech this week, saying Ukraine “has the right to defend itself.”

“If they cannot attack military targets on Russian territory, this will tie one of the Ukrainians’ hands behind their back and make it very difficult for them to conduct defense,” he said. “Self-defense includes the right to also attack legitimate military targets inside Russia.”

NATO Parliamentary Assembly adopted a declaration at the end of May, calling for the acceleration of arms shipments to Ukraine and the lifting of restrictions on weapons reaching inside Russia.

Yehor Cherniev, a Ukrainian member of Parliament and vice-chairman of the National Security, Defense and Intelligence Commission, expressed frustration with restrictions on weapons as Russia gains ground in Kharkiv.

“We could avoid this by using US weapons against their troops across the border,” he said.

Cherniev traveled to Washington after the Kharkiv offensive to pressure the Biden administration and Congress to suspend the policy. He was also on the vote at the NATO parliamentary assembly.

Speaking in Kiev late last month, Cherniev said progress is being made and that NATO’s declaration will likely increase pressure on the Biden administration to reverse the policy.

But he expressed frustration with the U.S. on several other issues, including the slow training of Ukrainian pilots in F-16s, a critical step for the fighters to reach the battlefield, and unclear responses to Kiev’s request for more systems. Patriot air defense system. to better cover Ukraine.

“It is crucial to have everything on time and in sufficient quantity,” he said, adding that if Ukraine had “everything we need, I have no doubt that we would have won this war.”

The Museum of Civil Voices of Ukraine is taking an innovative approach to spreading the message of Ukrainian resilience, both online and through physical exhibitions.

Its cameras in Kiev feature more than 100,000 stories from Ukrainian civilians who have been affected by the war since 2014, when Russian-backed separatists began fighting in eastern Ukraine.

“This war is a war of free people, of the democratic world, and investing in this war is to protect future generations,” said Andrii Palatnyi, curator of the exhibition. “What cost are we willing to pay for our freedom today?”

Palatnyi said the exhibition offers a constant reminder – to Ukrainians and their allies – of the horrific price being paid to continue the fight.

“Today we don’t pay [with] money, not weapons, we pay [with] the lives of our people,” he said. “Every day we lose people and the price is higher.”

Disclosure: The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation funded this reporter’s trip to Ukraine. He also founded the Civil Voices Museum.

This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story