Millions of Ukrainians under Russian occupation are terrified of Trump’s peace talks, – CNN

They are very afraid to hear that Ukrainian cities will “become Russia,” said a woman from the resistance group.

Ukrainians living in Russian-occupied territories are afraid of peace talks initiated by US President Donald Trump, CNN reports .

When asked why she and others decided to continue living under Russian occupation rather than flee, a Ukrainian woman from the women’s resistance group “Evil Mavka” responded on condition of anonymity:

“I don’t know how to explain this feeling. It’s like you just can’t believe that evil can win. Even after three years, people can’t believe that this is it. They still believe that the occupation will end. That’s why they still stay here and don’t run away.”

As noted in the publication, the woman lives in a city in southeastern Ukraine that fell under Russian control at the beginning of a large-scale invasion.

According to her, life under Russian occupation is exhausting and incredibly scary:

“You can be arrested for anything. You have to worry about everything. You have to check your phone, you have to check what you have in your apartment, you have to hide a lot of things, you can’t say what you’re thinking, and you can’t trust anyone.”

The Ukrainian woman added that abroad they always talk about territories, but the matter is not only about them, the matter is about people who are “still waiting” and “don’t want to move.”

Stepan, a 22-year-old Ukrainian who recently fled from occupied territory in southern Ukraine to Kherson, experienced firsthand what the occupying forces are capable of, CNN noted. In the summer of 2022, the Russians detained him and his parents, held them for two weeks, repeatedly beating them and torturing them with electricity. At the same time, no one in the family was ever told why they were being detained – they were never convicted or accused of any crimes.

“I was very afraid. Every time I went outside, I looked around to see if they were going to take me away again or do something to me. I wouldn’t leave the house if it wasn’t necessary. It was like that every day,” Stepan shared.

According to him and the representative of the band “Zla Mavka”, even the slightest suspicion that they are “pro-Ukrainian” can have terrible consequences for people living under occupation.

“My friends and acquaintances were often taken away because they didn’t want to get a Russian passport or didn’t register for military service. They were taken away and returned a week later with broken arms and legs, sometimes their heads. There were a lot of them, dozens of people,” Stepan said.

It is noted that those who do not have Russian documents face the threat of arrest and deportation to Russia every day, have no right to work, access even the most basic medical services or pensions, and are deprived of the right to own property.

“You can’t even call an ambulance without (a Russian passport). If you don’t have a Russian passport, it won’t come,” said a Ukrainian woman from the resistance group.

Millions of Ukrainians are not leaving the Russian occupation

As CNN added, millions of Ukrainians refuse to leave their homes in the occupied territories – most because they still believe that Kyiv, with the help of its Western allies, will eventually liberate all of its lands. According to the publication’s interlocutors, those who sympathize with Russia are “only a small minority.”

It is emphasized that for many, leaving is impossible because it is too dangerous, too expensive, and too treacherous.

“Theoretically, you can leave, but you have to go through filtering… They check everything there, so… let’s say there’s a woman whose husband was a soldier in 2014, and if they find out, she’ll have huge problems, so it’s safer for her not to try. But it could be anything, for example, a comment on social media, something on your phone, they could just arrest you and deport you to Russia,” the Ukrainian woman said.

So for now, she and millions of other Ukrainians remain and watch the news from the White House and elsewhere “with horror,” the publication says.

“People are very nervous and very afraid to hear about the negotiations and how our cities will become Russia, this is the biggest fear. But I can tell you that even if this happens, the resistance will not stop,” the woman assured.

Recall, according to media reports, Trump discussed with his subordinates the surrender of Ukrainian territories to Russia for the sake of a quick peace. It was noted that one of the negotiators with the Russians, Steve Witkoff, allegedly conveyed to Trump the message that the fastest way to end the war in Ukraine was to satisfy Russia’s demand for “ownership” of four Ukrainian regions that the Kremlin formally annexed in 2022.

(C)UNIAN 2025