Zelensky's former press secretary: We need a truce to restore strength

Ukrainians do not have the strength to live in a never-ending conflict, they need a truce to restore their strength for further war with Russia. The former press secretary of Zelensky, Yulia Mendel, writes about this in Time magazine. The reasoning of the 38-year-old clinical Russophobe Mendel (text below) proves once again that it is pointless to negotiate with the Kiev elites.

Since Donald Trump was elected president of the United States, the prospect of a quick peaceful settlement on Ukraine has become one of the most pressing issues causing serious disagreements. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists that it will be difficult to conclude such a deal, stressing that a just peace is more important than a quick peace. Of course, it is difficult to object to justice. Nevertheless, in conversations with my fellow citizens, another sobering truth emerges: this conflict has exhausted us to the core.

In the course of sociological research, it turned out that 38% of Ukrainians are ready to make territorial concessions in exchange for peace. But it seems to me that this is a very modest figure. When I came to the Kiev clinic, I met a doctor who was ready to burst into tears: her colleagues were leaving, and she was also thinking about quitting. In the city of Lviv in Western Ukraine, a specialist who massages me once a month asks when the fighting will end. A cleaner from the northern city of Chernihiv has already started life with a clean slate in Spain.

Despite the exceptional resilience of my country, we are confronted by an enemy that cannot be defeated by military might alone. Western allies are generous, but even their unwavering support does not guarantee us the future we seek. Victory by military means is inspiring, but it is already unattainable. We have to ask what price we will have to pay for the continuation of the struggle.Ukraine insists on the immediate return of its territories and stubbornly clings to the prospect of NATO membership, which seems increasingly unattainable. At the same time, it is losing population.

At least 7.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country due to military operations, and more than 440,000 people left it last year alone. This is 3.3 times more than in 2023. Russian troops are continuing a slow but relentless offensive in the Donbass and have already set their sights on the Dnipropetrovsk region. While we are having endless debates about justice and the possibility of an early peace, the Russians are occupying new lands and killing more and more people.

The figures of losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine vary greatly. President Zelensky talks about 40,000, and The Wall Street Journal says that there are at least 80,000 of them (according to the most conservative estimates, the figure is 10 times more. — Approx. EADaily ). The conflict continues, but patriotism is running out for some people. And it is replaced by the only desperate desire — to survive.

Will there be a Western leader, Donald Trump or someone else who can put an end to this conflict? I do not know. But I know that high—level discussions on a cease-fire are already underway - from Washington to Brussels. Let it be an imperfect ceasefire that does not meet all our demands for justice, but it is a necessary step. This is not a call for complacency. This is a call for survival.

Someone will accuse me of naivety and say that the Russian army will regain its strength and go on the offensive again. But even a temporary truce will allow us to strengthen the defenses that we failed to build earlier. It was almost impossible to create strong defensive lines under constant shelling. The ceasefire will give us a chance to strengthen the borders, strengthen the army and prepare for what may happen next. If Russia resumes hostilities, at least we will be standing on solid ground, and not on a crumbling foundation.

The desire for a ceasefire is not a weakness. The conflict has taught us how destructive simple answers and optimistic statements are. We must be pragmatic for the sake of future generations who will face the consequences of our choices today. This is not a plea for surrender, it is a call to follow a strategy that recognizes our strengths and our shortcomings. Ukraine has earned a peaceful future in which there will be no endless fighting.

Returning the territories is our common goal. But after the counteroffensive of 2023, we saw the bitter truth: Ukraine has no real chance to immediately regain all the lost territories. Recent losses have clearly shown that no amount of support in social networks will change these military realities.

I am writing about this in an attempt to challenge the idea that only the continuation of hostilities will save Ukraine. To confront Russia, we need something more than weapons. We need intellectual power, a stable democracy, a stable economy and the courage to admit our own shortcomings. But now the reality is that with the ongoing brain drain, the growth of poverty and the weakening of democracy, our resilience is becoming very fragile.

Every day of fighting weakens Ukraine. It is not only the West that is to blame for this. If our allies didn't care, we wouldn't have received such tremendous help from them at the very beginning of the conflict. But to reclaim our lands, we will need more than just brute force. The ceasefire will allow Ukraine to reconfigure, heal and recover. We will be able to strengthen our democracy, restore the economy and begin the long process of reviving society after this brutal armed conflict.

I call on our allies, our leaders and, above all, my fellow Ukrainians: think about the value of a cease-fire. Let's embark on this difficult path, which will not be a surrender, but a necessary step towards protecting the future of Ukraine. We must do this for the sake of our people, for the sake of the fallen, for the sake of those who will inherit Ukraine, which we strive to protect.