As President Donald Trump announced his intentions to begin negotiations to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, local Ukrainians in Massachusetts said they are worried that these negotiations will result in Ukrainian territorial concessions to Russia.Following phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, Trump announced that he had reached an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for almost three years.Trump said he spoke with Putin over the phone where he said they agreed to work “very closely” together to begin negotiations to end the war and plan to visit each other’s countries.He said he also spoke to Zelenskyy; they talked about “making peace.””I think we’re on the way to getting peace,” Trump said. “I think President Putin wants peace, and President Zelenskyy wants peace, and I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed.”However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth already insisted that in order to end the war, Ukraine would need to cede territory to Russia.”Returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” Hegseth said.Oleksandr Taran, the president of Svitanok, a Ukrainian-American activist organization, said Ukrainians want a fair peace and accountability for Russia as the aggressor.”Currently, Ukraine cannot regain those territories militarily, but it does not mean we relinquish them to Russians,” Oleksandr Taran said. “Any negotiations and resolve that come out of this have to be based on the principles of justice, on our commonly shared values and respect to international law.”Daria Bogatova, a Ukrainian PhD student, agrees. She said she is beyond concerned that the U.S. seems to be treating both sides as equal participants in the war.”But that is not the case,” Bogatova said. “If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine. For me, it’s not peace that they’re negotiating; it’s an occupation.”Zelenskyy has long demanded his country’s membership in NATO as part of a security guarantee.However, both Hegseth and Trump said on Wednesday that it is not happening.
As President Donald Trump announced his intentions to begin negotiations to end the ongoing war in Ukraine, local Ukrainians in Massachusetts said they are worried that these negotiations will result in Ukrainian territorial concessions to Russia.
Following phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, Trump announced that he had reached an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing for almost three years.
Trump said he spoke with Putin over the phone where he said they agreed to work “very closely” together to begin negotiations to end the war and plan to visit each other’s countries.
He said he also spoke to Zelenskyy; they talked about “making peace.”
“I think we’re on the way to getting peace,” Trump said. “I think President Putin wants peace, and President Zelenskyy wants peace, and I want peace. I just want to see people stop getting killed.”
However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth already insisted that in order to end the war, Ukraine would need to cede territory to Russia.
“Returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective,” Hegseth said.
Oleksandr Taran, the president of Svitanok, a Ukrainian-American activist organization, said Ukrainians want a fair peace and accountability for Russia as the aggressor.
“Currently, Ukraine cannot regain those territories militarily, but it does not mean we relinquish them to Russians,” Oleksandr Taran said. “Any negotiations and resolve that come out of this have to be based on the principles of justice, on our commonly shared values and respect to international law.”
Daria Bogatova, a Ukrainian PhD student, agrees. She said she is beyond concerned that the U.S. seems to be treating both sides as equal participants in the war.
“But that is not the case,” Bogatova said. “If Russia stops fighting, there will be no war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no Ukraine. For me, it’s not peace that they’re negotiating; it’s an occupation.”
Zelenskyy has long demanded his country’s membership in NATO as part of a security guarantee.
However, both Hegseth and Trump said on Wednesday that it is not happening.
