Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hopes for a breakthrough at the upcoming summit in Switzerland are met with skepticism on the ground in war-weary Kyiv and on the front lines where soldiers face ongoing Russian aggression.
The gathering, which will include representatives from approximately 90 countries and global institutions, comes amidst a critical juncture for Ukrainians who have endured over two years of conflict. Many doubt the summit will yield significant progress.
Sergiy, deputy commander of a tank brigade in the eastern Donetsk region, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of high-level diplomacy, remarking, “Politics is politics”. He emphasized the importance of robust military capabilities over diplomatic talks in influencing the situation on the ground.
Similarly, 23-year-old drone operator Danylo described the summit as more of a symbolic event rather than a catalyst for drastic change.
As Ukrainian forces face resource shortages and continue to lose territory to Russian advances, civilian evacuations have become mandatory in several areas. The mobilization efforts have heightened anxieties among the population, concerned about the escalating conflict and its toll on families.
In Kyiv, Victoria, who works in the energy sector, voiced her exhaustion with the ongoing war and tempered expectations about the summit’s potential outcomes, reflecting a realistic outlook shared by many Ukrainians.
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Zelensky has highlighted the return of Ukrainian prisoners of war as a key agenda item for the summit, a matter of personal significance for citizens like 40-year-old Lidia Rybas, whose brother is held captive by Russian forces.
Amidst differing perspectives on the summit’s impact, 22-year-old information security specialist Oleksandr bluntly stated his belief that the war will ultimately be resolved through military means, despite fleeting hopes the summit might provide.
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For soldiers like Maksym, a tank company commander in Donetsk, optimism about substantive changes emerging from the summit is tempered by past disappointments in diplomatic efforts.
As tensions persist and military priorities dominate, frontline soldiers such as Oleksandr emphasize the immediate goal of survival and return home amid ongoing Russian assaults.
