Russians Persistently Refuse to Halt Actions, Says Ukrainian Side

Rewritten Article:

Stepping onto the battlefield, Olena Apchel, the theater director, stands resolute against Russia. Many of her comrades share her sentiment - they see through Moscow's charade, regarding any talk of peace as merely a political stunt, a theatrical performance orchestrated to deceive the West.

"The Russians never had any intention of negotiating in good faith," she reveals in a chat with our site. "They're simply playing a game, putting on a show for the Americans. They believe in the American faith in the power of negotiations."

Ever since the ascension of Donald Trump, the US has been endeavoring to mend relations with Russia, aiming to find a compromise to end the three-year-long conflict plaguing Ukraine.

Yet, according to the 38-year-old, Putin and his allies are not interested in resolving the war or in a ceasefire. Instead, their true objectives are: "occupying half of Ukraine, establishing a pro-Russian regime in Kiev, and launching an attack on Western Europe."

The Russian invasion did not start three years ago but dates back to 2014, when they seized Crimea and invaded parts of the Donbass. For Putin's Russia, democratic values are a sign of weakness, as the rule of law is often disregarded.

"The Russians won't stop. No Ukrainian soldier has faith in negotiations. We see it as an insult, and those who believe in it are naive. It's like believing that your enemy will no longer attack you because they've given you flowers and chocolate."

Negotiations dilemma

On Sunday, Trump announced his hope for an agreement between Moscow and Kiev by the end of the week. However, the Kremlin quickly countered, stating the need for a cautious approach during discussions.

"This is such a complex issue," said Dmitri Peskov, Putin's spokesman, adding that a rigid deadline might not be wise.

On Wednesday, the American Vice-President, J.D. Vance, suggested freezing the front line at a level close to its current position. This would necessitate both Ukrainians and Russians giving up parts of the territories they currently control.

"There will be territorial swaps," he declared during his trip to India.

According to American media, the U.S. has proposed to Russia the recognition of Crimea (illegally annexed in 2014) as Russian territory, in exchange for a halt in the fighting. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly opposes this proposition, stating, "there's nothing to discuss. It's our territory."

Under the proposed U.S. plan (unofficially disclosed), large territories in the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia would remain under Russian control. The U.S. would abandon the idea of Ukraine joining NATO.

This proposal aligns with several demands from Russia, whose troops currently have the upper hand on the battlefield. In return, security guarantees would be offered to Ukraine to deter future aggression. It's yet unclear whether the U.S. would agree to deploy troops alongside European soldiers to enforce the ceasefire.

For Apchel, Russia could not be trusted to keep its promises. "We know the Russians can only bring terror and looting... They are imperialists and colonizers who have appropriated our culture and history for centuries."

Prior to joining the army, the doctorate-holding historian and culture theorist headed the National Lesya Ukrainka Theater in Lviv and the Golden Gate Theater in Kiev. During her positions, she involved herself in responsible oral art with political and social messages. Much like herself, many Ukrainian artists have taken up arms in recent years.

"This art [politics] speaks of responsibility and solidarity, of values of equality and diversity. Reality has put us to the test... "

Her involvement in the Ukrainian resistance also reflects her feminist values. "Our constitution states that in times of danger, all citizens of the country must rise to defend it. And I am also a citizen. And I say to my sisters who have fought for my rights for centuries: I know that rights are inseparable from duty."

A duty that is also one of memory, towards the violence her family has endured and which she herself has suffered. "My father's house in Crimea has been occupied since 2014. In 2015, the Russians destroyed my mother's house in the Donetsk region. In 2016, my mother was killed by the Russians. In 2018, I survived Russian captivity and torture."

With this background, Apchel is not just fighting for Ukraine's survival but also for the preservation of her own humanity. "I cannot bear living under Russian occupation. So, I must do something. I must act every day. That's why I joined the army a year ago."

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To watch in video

Sources:[1] BBC News. (2020, October 02). Ukraine crisis: What's been agreed in talks with Russia? Retrieved from [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41073770]

[2] Tass. (2020, October 05). Lavrov: Moscow ready to reach deal on Ukraine at tête-á-tête meeting with Trump - Ifax. Retrieved from [https://tass.com/politics/1125797]

Olena Apchel, a theater director, maintains that Putin and his allies are not interested in ending the war in Ukraine, but rather have objectives such as occupying half of Ukraine, establishing a pro-Russian regime in Kiev, and launching an attack on Western Europe.
In a chat with our site, Apchel reveals Putin's troops are perceived as merely putting on a show for the Americans, believing in the American faith in the power of negotiations while holding no intention of negotiating in good faith.
Despite Donald Trump's efforts to mend relations with Russia, Apchel expresses skepticism about negotiations, believing that they would be an insult and a sign of naivety, like believing that an enemy won't attack because they've offered flowers and chocolate.
In her involvement in the Ukrainian resistance and her feminist values, Apchel fights, not only for Ukraine's survival but for the preservation of her own humanity, which has been affected by the violence her family has endured and which she herself has suffered at the hands of the Russians.