Moving between damp basements and muddy dugouts to fend off constant Russian attacks in the nearly 4-year-old war, exhausted Ukrainian soldiers say their motivation is fortified by knowing they're fighting for higher cause: the defense of their homeland. But as negotiators try to hammer out a peace deal, the troops also believe that Russia remains determined to conquer Ukraine—either now, or with a fresh army in a few years' time—no matter what kind of agreement is reached, the AP reports. And they also say Kyiv must maintain a sizable military to protect the now-800-mile front line.
The soldiers expressed strong doubts that Moscow can be trusted to abide by any peace deal. Without substantial security guarantees, such as NATO membership for Ukraine, they and military analysts believe a new Russian invasion with fresh troops and equipment is inevitable. "This truce will be short-term, to restore Russia's forces—for some three or five years—and they will come back," said one artillery gunner. He also ridiculed the proposal to reduce the size of Ukraine's military, saying it was tantamount to making it easier for Russia "to kill you" later rather than now. But sustaining an army of Ukraine's current size of just over 1 million would be nearly impossible without continued Western support.
Serhii Filimonov, the commander of the Da Vinci Wolves battalion, worried that a deal would give Russia everything it needed to attack again. "I think it would be nice for the Russians—to end the war, remove the sanctions, prepare for a new war and attack again," he said. "I don't believe there can be peace before Russia is destroyed, or at least the leadership is changed." (Click for more on Ukraine's overstretched manpower.)
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