Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has issued a stark warning: he claims intelligence suggests a massive $12 trillion economic cooperation plan between the U.S. and Russia is being discussed, potentially without Ukraine’s involvement. This news surfaces as President Trump reportedly pushes to end the ongoing four-year conflict in just four months, a move Zelenskyy suggests could be driven by U.S. domestic politics.
Simultaneously, Russia is escalating its assault on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, targeting high-voltage substations connected to nuclear power plants and plunging areas into darkness. Zelenskyy condemns these as “terrorist” acts on an unprecedented scale, calling for a unified global response.
Adding to the complexity, there’s a perceived push on Ukraine, even from the Trump administration, to consider giving up territory in the Donbas. But human rights lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Nobel Peace laureate, strongly refutes this. She emphasizes that these regions are far from “empty spaces”—they are home to millions of Ukrainians suffering under Russian occupation, enduring horrors like enforced disappearances, torture, and rape. The eastern town of Izium, which experienced six months of Russian control, tragically illustrates this reality with its mass graves and countless civilian deaths.
On the front lines, Ukrainian medical professionals like surgeon Valerii Savytskyi and Oleksiy Mykoliuk are unequivocal: Russia “will not stop.” They argue that true peace hinges on unwavering international support for Ukraine, backed by strengthened economic sanctions against Russia—not through new business partnerships. For them, making deals with Moscow would only fuel the aggression, believing that crippling Russia’s economy is the only effective way to halt the war.
