Trump's promises spark mixed hopes among Ukrainian troops

As the last polling stations closed in the U.S., Dmytro was speeding in his military pickup straight into the chaos of Donbas. A tiny village near Kurakhove, with about 20 houses, had become the hottest spot on the front.

Around noon, mortar shells began raining down on Ukrainian positions. Soon after, aerial bombs followed. Within just four minutes, 500-kilogram KABs turned the village centre into a huge crater. The Ukrainians had no choice but to retreat from their positions, sustaining losses.

Only in the evening, once Dmytro steadied his trembling hands, did he reach for his phone. America had just finished counting the votes. Trump was returning. In his first rally, he announced the "end of all wars."

- I didn't feel panic or disappointment. I'd call it cautious hope. Maybe something will finally change? - says Dmytro.

Trump's return to power might drastically change Ukraine's situation. Some soldiers see it as an opportunity, while others predict a grim scenario. But the U.S. election results have forced both sides to seriously consider how much longer Ukraine can continue the war.

Dmytro: - Three months ago, I wouldn't have accepted any peace talks as long as Russians were trampling Ukrainian land. But now the time has come to face the truth.

Regarding the election campaign in the U.S., little was said on the Ukrainian front.

- No one had illusions: whatever the election result, it didn't bode well for us - says "Shaitan," the commander of an artillery unit fighting near Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region.

In the soldiers' opinion, Kamala Harris would continue Joe Biden's "half-measure war" policy.

- Nothing would change. We still wouldn't have enough weapons to win. But they also wouldn't let us lose too quickly. We would keep bleeding pointlessly - believes "Shaitan."

Last year saw Ukraine suffer its greatest territorial losses since 2022. The Russians occupied fortress towns whose defence had been ongoing since the invasion began. Under a rain of aerial bombs and constant assaults, Avdiivka fell first. In the summer, the Russians found weak spots in the defence and swiftly reached strategically important Pokrovsk. They then took Vuhledar and now surround Kurakhove from three sides.

The Kursk operation briefly boosted army morale, but amid continuous losses and the West's lack of reaction, it plummeted.

- The front crumbled - says Dmytro. - We dig in under fire, only to soon abandon these positions. Nobody is thinking about liberating Donbas anymore. We're losing people with no results. Eventually, a moment comes when you have to ask yourself if shedding our blood still makes sense. Trump's return to power gives us some hope for change.

During the election campaign, Trump declared that he would end the war in Ukraine "within 24 hours." Similar declarations were made in his first post-election rally. The American press is flooded with analyses and leaks suggesting that as soon as the new president takes office, he will drastically reduce military aid to Ukraine.

According to "The Wall Street Journal," Trump's advisors have various versions of plans to freeze the war. One of them proposes refusing Ukraine's NATO membership for 20 years, creating a 1,300-kilometre demilitarized zone, and leaving about 20% of Ukrainian territory, already occupied, under Russian control.

- Trump says many things. But how it will be in reality is a different story. He might cut off military aid, or the opposite might happen. What goes on in Trump's head, only Trump knows - says "Shaitan."

Like many other soldiers, he takes "dark scenarios" with a grain of salt. In Ukraine, they remember well that in 2018, Trump was the first president to agree to provide offensive weapons to Ukraine.

- I don't know what to expect, but I know it can't worsen. After two and a half years of war, I realized that no one needed Ukraine. I don't blame the West, but since they promised to stay with us as long as necessary, they should understand they are losing the war with us - says Dmytro.

According to the soldiers, it will be much easier for Ukraine to talk to Trump, who might be brutal but will at least make things clear rather than creating false assurances of support.

- While the West hesitated endlessly and delayed weapon deliveries, the best soldiers were ground down in the trenches. They fought with automatic weapons against aerial bombs. Now, we lack not only weapons but also people. Those now joining the army are just picked up off the street. They have no motivation to fight - believes Dmytro.

The worst sentiments prevail among the infantry, exhausted by trench warfare.

- Harris's win would mean continued war. Trump might end it. I'm okay with any scenario - says Igor, a Marine infantryman.

We first met Igor in January this year. He was on rotation after Krynki, the only Ukrainian foothold on the left bank of the Dnipro. Although other soldiers called the river crossing a "suicidal mission," Igor believed he could bring about a breakthrough in the war.

- Now I don't believe in anything. In July, we withdrew from Krynki and were almost immediately sent to Vovchansk, where the Russians started an offensive. Out of 45 people, only three remained: the commander and two drivers. The rest were either killed or injured - says Igor.

Igor ended up in the hospital, and while he was recovering, his unit was replenished and redeployed. This time to Pokrovsk.

- Again, the same: wounded, dead. And this time, missing as well. Weapons are there, but the bodies are not. Either they are in captivity, or the Russians executed them. You can't fight on enthusiasm forever. There's no rotation, no people, no weapons. Even the most motivated are breaking - says Igor.

He believes the moral spirit in the army has dropped to a critical level. Just this year, the prosecutor's office initiated over 35,000 cases concerning the unauthorized abandonment of military units.

- It's become a plague. Everyone is trying not to go to the front—third year in the trenches. Families are falling apart; children grow up without fathers. Nobody wants to die in a war with no chance of victory. We had zeal and strength, which the West squandered with endless hesitation. But Ukraine also did much to lose the war. Igor says it should have been producing weapons, fighting corruption, and mobilizing people.

No one on the front doubts that once Trump assumes the presidency, he will try to force Ukraine into peace talks.

Igor: - We have no advantage. In any case, it will end with the loss of territories for Ukraine. In the best-case scenario, it will only be Donbas.

Dmytro: - There will never be life in Donbas again. Only dust remains from the towns and villages. The scorched earth is not worth even a drop of blood. The problem is that rotten peace will change nothing. Whatever agreement we sign will only postpone the next invasion. We will wait, frustrated and full of hatred. So much sacrifice, and still, they'll crush us as a nation.

Igor also believes that if Russia is not defeated, it will return to war in a few years. By signing an agreement, we buy time to renew our forces and strengthen our borders. We must start working on ourselves, as we can only count on ourselves.

- If Ukraine signs a peace agreement with Russia, the next day I will leave the army, take my family, and move away as far as possible. Because it will mean only darkness and collapse - says "Shaitan."

However, in his opinion, neither Ukraine nor Russia will go for negotiations.

- Trump will push, but Zelensky won't agree. We won't join NATO. We won't get security guarantees. And accepting rotten peace and giving up occupied territories would be a suicide for the entire country. Putin will not be interested in that, either. His goal is not just Donbas but the whole of Ukraine. Now he feels the upper hand, so why would he stop? This stalemate, which we've been mired in for two years, will fall on Trump's shoulders. And then we'll see. I hope it will become a catalyst for change.