UKRAINIAN troops fear being “betrayed” by America as they beg Donald Trump to not roll over to tyrant Vladimir Putin.
Soldiers on the front line have told The Sun how they fear Ukraine could be handed over to Moscow in a peace deal.
Vasyl Savyn said his company didn’t need American weapons to fight[/caption]
A Ukrainian soldier carries a shell through a trench in the snow[/caption]
The American president has gone over the top of Ukraine and Europe’s leaders and appears ready to do business with the Kremlin directly and meet despot Vlad in Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainians appear willing to keep fighting for their country – but they know they need support to continue valiantly standing up to their much larger neighbour.
Volodymyr Zelensky said it was fair that America could talk to Russia but any peace deal involving Ukraine had to have Ukraine’s input.
Zelensky said the call “was not pleasant for me”.
UK PM Sir Keir Starmer was adamant on Thursday that Ukraine must be involved with any peace discussions that affect it.
But Putin’s cronies are popping the vodka at the thought of the US acquiescing to at least some of Russia’s demands on Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
Ukrainians react
Vasyl Savyn, 54, company commander of the 56th Separate Mariupol brigade said soldiers were not ready to give up because Trump wants to.
He said: “In our company we don’t have any American weapons; we are independent from Trump’s decisions.
“There are only people left on the front line who want to fight and see the victory.
“We may die here, but we will not give up.”
Eugen Sobchenko, 41, an engineer from Odessa, said he was “very concerned” about the deal.
He believes Trump wants to give Putin enough concessions from Ukraine to frame the war as a win.
Eugen said: “Ukraine will turn into his unconditional victory both for the domestic citizen and for many external partners/countries.
“I want to hope that this is not the case, but I have little hope, unfortunately. This is indirectly confirmed by the Rouble exchange rate and the Russian stock market.”
Mariya Chechelnytska said she felt like a ‘great show’ was starting[/caption]
Another soldier, Eugen, from an Odessa anti-drone unit, said “nothing good will come out of” the deal for Ukraine.
Eugen said: “I have a strong feeling that we are being betrayed by our biggest ally. I don’t feel comfortable at all.
“Time will tell more, of course. I wish to be wrong.”
Vika Roik, 35, a business owner, said Trump wanted to be remembered as a “great man” of history but an unfair peace would only inflame tensions.
Vika said: “I think he is on the verge of losing an allied army in the future—the Ukrainian army—and the Americans will pay for it.”
Mariya Chechelnytska, 37, from Kyiv, said she felt like it was the “start of a great show” between two unpredictable leaders.
She said: “They both defend their personal interests to the last breath and are not very famous for keeping their word. These negotiations can hardly be successful from the first call.”
Kremlin pops vodka
The Kremlin appears to be popping the vodka at the prospect of winning the war.
Putin’s top crony Dmitry Medvedev has hailed Trump as stepping back from “apocalypse” as he celebrates the peace talks.
The former Russian President – who is mad Vlad’s top ally – gloated in a post on social media as he continued to push Russia’s false narrative that either it wins or there will be nuclear war.
Joe Biden backing Ukraine and waiting for Kyiv to lead peace negotiations was “a grave mistake,” Medvedev claimed, “which nearly wiped humanity off the face of the earth”.
In a follow-up post, Medvedev labelled Europe’s response to being cut out like a “frigid spinster” “mad with jealousy and rage”.
A tank is fired by Ukrainians in the snow[/caption]
A Ukrainian artillery pick up truck fires rockets at Russia[/caption]
A Ukrainian soldier loads a mortar on Tuesday[/caption]
Relying on sexist tropes, Putin’s pal said Europe’s marginalised geopolitical role was like it having poor “chances of snagging a husband.”
He raged: “No wonder. Europe’s time is over. It’s weak, ugly and useless.”
European leaders have been left fuming that they and Ukraine appear to have been cut out of talks by Trump before the peace process even started to end the three-year-old war.
In a rebuke to the Americans, UK defence secretary John Healey warned: “There can be no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine and Ukraine’s voice must be at the heart of any talks.
Volodomyr Zelensky says Ukraine must be involved in any peace talks[/caption]
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Saudi Arabia[/caption]
“We all want to see a durable peace and no return to conflict and aggression – and let’s not forget, Russia remains a threat well beyond Ukraine.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected any “dictated peace” and his defence minister said it was “regrettable” Washington was already making “concessions” to the Kremlin.
Nato chief Mark Rutte on Thursday said that it was crucial Kyiv is “closely involved” in any talks about what is happening in Ukraine.
Trump’s peace plan
The exact details of Trump’s are yet to be confirmed, but some key planks have been released.
US Defence Secretary Keith Hegseth said it was “unrealistic” for Ukraine to return to its 2014 borders before Putin invaded Crimea.
Hegseth also confirmed on Wednesday that the US doesn’t want Ukraine to join Nato or for American troops to be involved in defending the country.
Instead, European soldiers, including Brits, could then be used to guarantee Russia doesn’t invade again by policing a demilitarised zone.
A leaked peace plan said Ukraine could still become part of the EU in 2030 and that Trump would want the European bloc to drive Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction.
Trump and Putin’s relationship
Donald Trump has a history of positive and admiring comments about strongman Vladimir Putin.
They have long prompted criticism from his rivals that he is “soft on Russia”.
Trump rejects that, saying that no US president was ever tougher on Moscow and that a US president needs a relationship with the Russian leader.
Trump said he “got along great” with him during his first term where they met in person five times and nine publicly reported phone conversations.
Since the start of his second term, however, Trump has criticised Putin’s conduct of the “ridiculous” Ukraine war and said that the conflict is “destroying” Russia.
Trump has threatened more sanctions on Russia if it didn’t come to the negotiating table over Ukraine.
Putin, meanwhile, has sought to flatter
