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‘Peace, Not Surrender’: Ukrainians No Longer Believe Putin Can Be Beaten

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After more than three years of Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion, the war’s scars stretch far beyond the frontline. Ukrainians are exhausted from the relentless waves of missile and drone attacks, with Kyiv regularly facing massive assaults and cities deep in western Ukraine, including Lviv, no longer spared from deadly air strikes.

Even hundreds of miles from the front lines, civilians see the human cost of war, with young veterans missing limbs navigating train stations, metros and supermarkets.

There’s no question of the intense longing for peace in the country, but there’s an equally strong feeling that conceding territory to Russia for any potential end to the fighting would make the immense sacrifices made by so many meaningless.

Polls conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology at the start of the invasion found around 9 out of 10 Ukrainians said that under no circumstances should the country give up any of its territories. More recent surveys show that roughly half of Ukrainians still outright reject territorial concessions. Around 39% say they are prepared to consider them.

Another poll, conducted by Gallup in July, found that 69% of Ukrainians now favour a negotiated end to the war as soon as possible, compared to just 24% who support continuing to fight until they are victorious. Back in 2022, 73% of respondents backed fighting on and only 22% believed talks were the way forward. (Read more from “‘Peace, Not Surrender’: Ukrainians No Longer Believe Putin Can Be Beaten” HERE)

Zelensky Demands Regime Change in Moscow: “Russia Must Be Stopped at the Source”

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has issued his most direct call yet for the removal of Vladimir Putin’s regime, warning that the threat from Russia will not end with the war in Ukraine — and that only a full political transformation in Moscow can deliver lasting peace in Europe.

Speaking via video at a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Zelensky declared that the Kremlin is “mentally stuck in another century” and driven by imperialist fantasies that make its current leadership incompatible with peace or international order.

“Even after the war ends,” Zelensky warned, “Moscow will continue trying to destabilize its neighbors unless the world acts to change the regime.”

Zelensky’s comments came just hours after a brutal round of overnight Russian drone and missile strikes killed eight Ukrainian civilians, including a six-year-old child, and injured others across several residential areas. Ukrainian air defenses shot down most of the 317 drones launched, but five missiles hit their targets directly, causing significant destruction.

In his remarks, Zelensky blamed Russia’s refusal to accept “natural borders” and adherence to a post-Soviet imperial mindset for the continued violence, stating:

“They don’t recognize where their country ends. They believe their borders are wherever they want them to be.”

Zelensky also called for harsher sanctions against Moscow, demanding not just frozen but confiscated Russian assets, a total shutdown of its arms industry, and a clampdown on energy profits that help fuel its war machine.

“We all know how to protect ourselves from what Russia is bringing,” he said. “But it takes bold action, not half-measures.”

In retaliation, Ukrainian drones targeted infrastructure inside Russia overnight, according to Russian media. The strikes reportedly caused damage to railways, gas pipelines, and a factory fire, though Moscow claims there were no casualties. Ukrainian officials have not officially commented.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha took aim at U.S. policy, urging President Donald Trump to abandon his plan to give Putin a 50-day grace period to come to terms.

“It’s time to end the waiting. Putin isn’t interested in compromise — he’s waging war.”

Photo credit: Flickr