Donald Trump's threat to withdraw US support and walk away from Russia-Ukraine peace talks has raised alarm in Kiev, setting the stage for what Ukrainian officials and soldiers expect to be a bloody Russian offensive this summer that could reshape the trajectory of the war, the prestigious British Financial Times quotes.
As Ukraine's leaders continue their efforts for a 30-day ceasefire, many people have no illusions that Russia's years-long war will end soon, Ukrainian officials and soldiers told the Financial Times.
They argue that Russia shows no signs of reducing its military attacks or making real concessions. A recent meeting in Turkey, they said, left Kiev negotiators convinced that peace remains a distant prospect.
There, Russia's chief negotiator warned that they could re-invade and seize Ukraine's northern Sumy and Kharkiv regions, according to a Ukrainian official.
Even European governments have been slow to act on promises to strengthen security, including a proposed "security force" that has yet to materialize and some in Kiev worry it may never materialize.
Yehor Firsov, a deputy and commander of the drone unit in Ukraine's 109th Brigade, said it is time for his country to face the "harsh reality" that Russia's self-confidence can outlast Western unity.
“Putin is convinced he can destroy Ukraine,” he said. “He simply believes that our complete capitulation is only a matter of time... The US could stop its aid any day. He sees Europe as weak and indecisive.”
Ukrainian troops on the eastern front said Russian infantry were moving on motorcycles, carts and electric scooters. Ismahilov, a soldier who was once Ukraine's top Muslim cleric, said they were "a swarm of locusts... not a big wave, but an endless stream."
"They don't care about the losses. They just keep coming... not to take kilometers, but meters - collapsed trenches, a few blown-over trees, the ruins of a house."
Ukraine lost one of its F-16 jets in mid-May during an air mission, with the pilot ejecting after shooting down three targets. Many soldiers and, increasingly, officials say the country must prepare for a long, asymmetric war. (A2 Televizion)
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