Ukraine War Widow Mourns as Trump Pushes for Peace Talks

KYIV, Ukraine – Anastasiia Fedchenko, 36, sat in St. Michael’s Cathedral, her hands resting on her pregnant belly, as she mourned her husband, Andriy Kusmenko, a marine commander killed in action on Jan. 4. Kusmenko, 33, was laid to rest in an open coffin, surrounded by his fellow soldiers who dropped red roses as they paid their respects. Fedchenko, a journalist, leaned forward to kiss her husband one last time, calling him “the love of my life.”

“I am sorry my daughter will never see her father,” Fedchenko told the BBC. “But she will know that he was a soldier, an officer, and that he did everything he could for Ukraine to exist for her and for other generations.” Her grief underscores the human cost of a war that has dragged on for nearly three years, with no end in sight.

As Ukraine battles through its third winter of war, the word “victory” is rarely spoken. Moscow now controls nearly one-fifth of Ukraine, including Crimea, which it annexed in 2014. Public opinion is shifting, with some Ukrainians advocating for peace talks, while others, like Fedchenko and Sgt. Dmytro, a soldier who fought alongside Kusmenko, believe any deal with Russia would dishonor the dead.

“Let the people in power decide, but I don’t think the ones who fell would want them [Ukraine’s leadership] to sit around the table,” said Sgt. Dmytro, whose call sign is “Smile.” “After the funeral, we are heading back to work. We will fight for every Ukrainian who fell.”

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has claimed he could end the war in a day, is pushing for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. His potential return to the White House has raised concerns among Ukrainians who fear any deal would favor Moscow.

On the front lines, soldiers like Mykhailo, a 42-year-old drone unit commander, continue to fight despite exhaustion. “I went to the enlistment office in the first days, and I hoped everything would go quickly,” Mykhailo said. “Honestly, I am tired. Time off is rare.” His unit, part of the 68th “Jaeger” Brigade, is struggling to hold the eastern city of Pokrovsk, a key transportation hub under threat from advancing Russian forces.

In Dnipro, a young soldier, Serhiy Hnezdilov, 24, faces trial for desertion. He is one of approximately 100,000 soldiers accused of leaving their units since 2022, according to Ukraine’s General Prosecutor’s office. Hnezdilov, who served for five years, including two before Russia’s full-scale invasion, says he is ready to fight but demands a clear plan for demobilization. “Soldiers are not slaves,” he said. “Everyone who has spent three years or more on the front line deserves the right to rest.”

As the war grinds on, the possibility of a peace deal remains uncertain. Mykhailo, the drone commander, expressed skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s intentions. “This [Putin] is a completely unstable person, and that’s putting it very gently,” he said. “I hope that at some stage the enemy will stop because they tire out, or someone with a sound mind comes to power.”

For now, the fighting continues, with Ukrainian soldiers like David, 24, handling explosives on the front lines. “No one knows how long the war will last,” David said. “Maybe not even the politicians.” He fears that any ceasefire would only be a temporary pause before Moscow renews its aggression.

As the winds of war and diplomacy swirl, the hard truth remains: any potential peace deal is unlikely to be on Ukraine’s terms.