America First, Russia Second — But What About the Ukrainians?

After three years of war in Ukraine, hopes of a lasting ceasefire are beginning to rear their head. Peace talks on the Ukrainian concessions have already begun—crucially, however, without the participation of Ukraine itself. Now the world waits uneasily while Kremlin and the White House, having decided the cost of war, are now trying to decide the price of peace. Universitas visited the three-year commemoration of the full-scale invasion to ask students what they thought of these new talks, and if they still had hope for a lasting peace.

Unfairness and Impunity

—I'm really hopeful. I expect [the war] to end soon because with all support from Europe we have a chance, but we need to be all together, said Olga Denysenko, a 20-year-old Ukrainian student.

With chants of "Slava ukrayini" and the pouring rain in the background, the interviewees showed us their perspectives on the war and the new precedents set by Trump.

—We can't just give Putin something to end the war, because it's not going to be the end—it's just going to postpone the next war that will happen in a month, in a year, or in a few years.

These were the words of Nataliya Tomyn (36), when asked about the conditions for a lasting peace in Ukraine. She expressed hope, but stressed that the peace talks have to be fair for Ukraine.

As the talks between Russia and US unfold without the representation of any other party, Ukrainians fear for an unfair agreement. 

—I think that it's not fair. It's Ukrainians who should decide how peace should be achieved, because we are not the enemies. We are victims of this war, said Denysenko. 

She added that she felt betrayed after hearing Trump's addresses to Zelensky.

—They helped Ukraine a lot during all those years, but unfortunately now it feels like a betrayal.

The Exclusion of Zelensky 

During the past days, talks between Russia and the United States have drawn attention to Ukraine's role over its own terms for peace. After seeing how they excluded him from the diplomatic movements, Zelensky himself told NBC News that he would "never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine, never."

What about the students' perspectives over America's new head of state?

—I believe they thought that they could achieve notable results quickly, and they wanted to give something to Russia, said Russian student Petr Vasilev.

He sees this move as part of a US populist foreign politics that may vary as Washington sees fit.

—Trump may forget about Ukraine in a week and start thinking about Panama. Or he'll come back to Greenland, you don't really know.

The perception of Trump as a populist president wasn't an isolated case. 

—I didn't trust that he could end the war in 24 hours. I think this is just populism. He's just making himself look good on the international arena, and he needed to say that because he needed to appease his voters, said Tomyn, referring to Trump's initial claim during his campaign.

Where Does Europe Stand?

As Trump's hostility towards NATO shrinks the alliance's former global presence, the pressure towards Russia and any aid to Ukraine are trending down. This, as well as several pro-Russian EU governments, are making any one European strategy problematic.

This is the topic that sparked most disparity among the students. For Denysenko, the answer was clear.

—I'm sure that Europe is an ally of Ukraine, and I feel that support from everyone. 

The optimism wasn't shared by everyone at the gathering. Some, like Vasilev, showed skepticism over an unconditional European approval, pondering the shifting positions that many countries have.

—We see Slovakia and Hungary being much more pro-Russia. At the same time, we see that this picture is not always stable either. 

While he still saw Europe leaning towards solidarity with Ukraine, he argued that this depended mainly on its physical proximity as closer to Ukraine than what US is. 

—The war in Ukraine is much closer to European territory. It is not happening in, let's say, Texas or Canada. So I believe European leaders understand that much more is at stake for them. 

This closeness is what draws Tomyn to a strong stance over the ending of the war. 

—This is not just our freedom that we are fighting for but the freedom for the whole world because everyone will be impacted and affected. 

The war in Ukraine is entering its fourth year. Although peace talks have sparked hope again, they have been tinted with fear over rising populism and a sense of betrayal of the Ukrainian population. The world order is shifting Europe towards a new and unknown position, and its old alliance with the United States is beginning to crumble under the weight of Trump's protectionist policies. The stakes are now high for Europeans as well as Ukrainians—a peace where the aggressor gets to split its loot with the mediator may set a precedent for the future.