I Left My Old Life Behind To Fight For Ukraine. Here’s What Trump Isn’t Telling You

Before the war, I was a printer in Kyiv. I had travelled the world, met my wife and started a small business making advertising materials and T-shirts. Like many others, I had plans for the future and dreams of a peaceful life.

Now, I serve in the Ukrainian army — not because I am choosing war but because the violence came to my doorstep three years ago. Since Russia began its campaign to control our country, I have had no choice but to stand and defend my home, my people and our freedom. I want to share what the invasion has taught me about the value of freedom because it is essential to peace.

When I think about peace, I think about my family and how it has grown. Recently, my wife and I welcomed twin daughters into this world. But instead of looking forward to their first steps or first words, I find myself asking, “Will they grow up free, or in an occupied land where everything Ukrainian is erased?”

At the same time, I hear US thought leaders like Elon Musk ask what Ukrainians are fighting and dying for. After three years of war — a war that has killed our friends, injured me and threatened my family — hearing such words is unbearable.

The answer to Musk’s question is simple: We are fighting for our right to exist as a nation.

I used to think this answer was American in principle, and in the spring of 2022, most Americans stood with us. We couldn’t have survived this long without the United States’ support. I literally owe my life to it — commanding a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle supplied by the US has saved me more times than I can count.

The author in front of his Bradley.
The author in front of his Bradley.

Courtesy of Sergii Gavryliuk

Between the man-made horrors of the modern battlefield, mine explosions and drone strikes, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have been pulled from combat alive thanks to American equipment, training and aid. Your country’s support doesn’t just help us liberate our homes — it keeps us alive and able to return to them.

But since Donald Trump has come back into office, everything has changed. Watching his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on February 28 made one thing clear: Trump is determined to end the war at any cost, without any concern for what happens next or the destruction it may cause to my people.

It appears the president of the United States has a different understanding of peace than we Ukrainians do, and he doesn’t care what our country looks like the day after his deal goes through because he simply wants to be the man who ended the war.

He speaks about caring for Ukrainian soldiers, but he recently blocked critical aid to Ukraine, and this led to our army being less able to defend itself as the casualties continued to mount.

“A rushed ceasefire, driven by political expediency, will not bring stability. It will only plant the seeds of an even greater war.”

One soldier who was killed was a friend of mine. He died in my arms in the ruins of a house — a place that was once someone’s home. I held his hand as he became delirious and began speaking to his wife as if she were there with him. He told her how much he loved her, that she needed to finish their home renovations, and that they would send their son to school.

He was a builder who joined the army voluntarily in the first days of the invasion. I held him as he died and thought about how another wife is left without a husband, another child will not have a father, and another mother will mourn her son. I think of him when I hear American leaders say Ukraine is responsible for this war.

A church in Donbas destroyed by the Russian army.
A church in Donbas destroyed by the Russian army.

Courtesy of Sergii Gavryliuk

Every war eventually comes to an end, and like every Ukrainian, I dream of the day when peace finally returns to our land. We want to live, build our future, and shape our nation — a country with a thousand years of history. But what kind of peace are we being offered?

The recent talks between Ukraine and the US — and the discussion of a ceasefire — bring a glimmer of hope. But will Russia agree? I highly doubt it. And even if it does — what happens next? History has proven time and again that agreements with Russia hold no value. I have no illusions: The Kremlin will never abandon its imperial ambitions. If left unchecked, it will regroup, rearm, and strike again.

The citizens of Ukraine know the cost of Russian promises. We remember the names of people who are no longer here today because Vladimir Putin lied. Those lies mean I can’t watch my children grow up. My mother’s hair is turning gray from the stress of knowing her only son is at war. I don’t know what the future will be for the people I love or myself. Still, I will keep fighting because I refuse to let my country be swallowed up by Russia.

Ukrainians, Europeans and Americans can’t take more time learning Putin is not ready for peace. This whole nightmare would end if Russia left Ukraine. Although the war has taught me a lot, I don’t understand why Ukraine — the victim — is constantly pressured to compromise while the aggressor faces no real consequences. We are smaller, but we are not lesser. The United States has never shied away from standing up to tyranny. I want to know what has changed now.

What security guarantees will Ukraine receive, and from whom, when the US is retreating from Europe? Who will ensure that evil does not go unpunished, that the massacres, the destroyed cities and the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives lost are not forgotten? A ceasefire without justice is not peace — it’s merely a pause before the next war.

A forced freeze of the front lines, as they are today, would not end the war — it would only postpone the next stage of Russia’s aggression. Why should we surrender our land? Why should we be asked to accept the destruction of our homes and the slaughter of our people as something to be forgiven? I cannot forget. I will not forgive.

To me, this is not peace — it is surrender. It is a betrayal of the free and democratic world in the face of growing dictatorships. A rushed ceasefire, driven by political expediency, will not bring stability. It will only plant the seeds of an even greater war, and as always, it will be ordinary Ukrainians who pay the price — lives that seem to matter to Western politicians only in their speeches.

The author saved this kitten from one of the Donbas villages, and it is now living with guys in his unit.
The author saved this kitten from one of the Donbas villages, and it is now living with guys in his unit.

Courtesy of Sergii Gavryliuk

I know that many Americans support us and are angry with their elected politicians for turning their backs on Ukraine, and I thank them.

I’m afraid of dying and leaving my family behind. I’m afraid of being maimed while fighting and becoming a burden to my wife and children. The best of Ukraine is fighting and dying. The most honorable and the most courageous are trying to bring freedom to our people.

I joined the army because of freedom. I want my people to live in our own home, on our own terms. Now that I’ve met my 2-month-old twin daughters, my only dream is for them to grow up alive and in a peaceful Ukraine. I don’t want to emigrate. I was born here, and I want to raise my daughters in my country. This war is horrifying, bleak and impossible to explain to civilians who don’t live it. I ask for your help and pray you never find yourself in our position.

Sergii Gavryliuk is a father, son, and before he joined Ukraine’s army, the owner of a typography business. He is currently a junior sergeant in Ukraine’s armed forces and a Bradley IFV commander. You can follow him on X at @GarvyliukSergii.

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Putin Seems To Ignore Trump Threat And Causes One Of 2025’s Deadliest Days For Civilians In Ukraine

Vladimir Putin appeared to ignore Donald Trump’s threat to impose sanctions on Russia on Friday and launched deadly attacks across Ukraine.

The US president told the Russian leader to stop “pounding” Ukraine or face serious sanctions last week, after weeks of not applying any pressure to Moscow.

However, the UN has since said Friday was one of the deadliest days for civilians this year after 21 people were killed in Ukraine.

A further 81 people were injured, 79 of whom were in territory controlled by Ukraine.

The UN also found casualty numbers in Ukraine overall for 2025 remain higher than they were in 2024.

The attacks unfolded even as Trump was telling reporters in the White House that Putin “holds all the cards” – and that Russia is “easier to deal with” than Ukraine on Friday.

It’s worth remembering that Russia invaded Ukraine in a land grab in 2022.

But, Trump said Kyiv has to “get on the ball and get the job done” when it comes to a peace agreement, adding: “I have to know that [Ukraine] want to settle – if they don’t want to settle, we’re out of there.

“They’re bombing the hell out of Ukraine… I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine.”

And, despite the ongoing bombardments, Trump then said he thinks Putin wants peace, and “I think he’s doing what anyone else would do”.

He claimed: “I think both parties want to settle. I think we are going to get it settled.”

This also comes after Trump’s Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg said Ukraine brought the US’s pause in intelligence sharing and military aid “on themselves.”

Speaking on Thursday, Kellogg said: “Very candidly, they brought it on themselves, the Ukrainians.

“I think the best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a two-by-four across the nose. You got their attention, and it’s very significant, obviously, because of the support that we give.”

“We’re going to end this war, and this is one way to make sure you understand we’re serious about it.

“So is it hard, of course it is, but it’s not like they didn’t know this was coming. They got fair warning it was coming.”

Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton told CNN on Friday that Putin is continuing his attacks on Ukraine because he knows the threat from Trump was “totally hollow”.

″[Trump] did it simply to show some kind of balance given the things he had said about Zelenskyy and Ukrainians,” Bolton said, alluding to the US president’s baseless attacks on the Ukrainian president.

Trump, as he aligns more closely with Moscow, has falsely called Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator”, claimed he is ungrateful for the US’s support during the war and blamed Kyiv for starting the war.

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UK Ambassador Joins Dozens Who Reveal What They Really Think Of Russia With 1 Clear Move

The UK’s ambassador to the United Nations walked out of the room when Russia’s delegate was addressing its Human Rights Council on Wednesday.

Simon Manley joined dozens of other ambassadors in protesting Vladimir Putin’s representative’s speech during a session which was meant to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.

Manley, who walked out of the room as soon as the speech started, later explained that their actions came down to Kyiv’s exclusion from early peace talks between Russia and the US last week in Saudi Arabia.

According to Reuters, the delegate said: “Our support for Ukraine is iron-clad. We want to see a just and enduring peace in line with the UN charter. Ukraine has to be at the negotiating table.”

Speaking outside the room where Russia’s ambassador was speaking, France’s Jerome Bonnafont said: “If we let slide what happened with Ukraine without reacting…we would open the door to a disintegration of fundamental principles on which the UN was founded.”

The Washington delegate did not join those protesting because they had not turned up to the session at all, following US president Donald Trump’s decision to pull the States out of the Human Rights Council earlier this month.

Speaking to those still in the room, Russia’s deputy foreign minister Sergey Vershinin bizarrely accused Ukraine of a “flagrant violation of fundamental human rights”.

“Securing human rights and freedoms is incompatible with double standards,” he added, claiming Kyiv was guilty of Russophobia.

Actually, there is an international arrest warrant out for the Russian president over his alleged war crimes including the forced deportation of Ukrainian children.

Ukraine’s deputy foreign affairs minister Mariana Betsa then slammed Moscow for violating international law, adding: “The aggressor should be punished, aggression should not be rewarded.”

This incident comes after the US voted with Russia twice at the UN security council this week.

The States first voted against a European-drafted resolution condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine, joining Russia, North Korea and Belarus who opposed the resolution.

The States then put forward a different resolution which takes a neutral stance on the conflict, and includes no criticism of Russia.

Since his re-election, Trump has turned US policy towards Ukraine completely on its head.

While pushing for a quick end to the war, the US president is much more sympathetic towards Vladimir Putin than his predecessor Joe Biden.

He has signalled Ukraine may have to cede occupied territory to Russia in exchange for peace, while also blaming Kyiv for starting the war and falsely calling the country’s democratically elected president a dictator.

Meanwhile, prime minister Keir Starmer is in Washington DC today, trying to secure “security guarantees” from Trump for Europe – although Trump has already rejected the idea.

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Starmer Accused of ‘Betraying World’s Most Vulnerable Children’ As He Slashes International Aid

Keir Starmer has been severely criticised after announcing he is cutting the UK’s foreign aid budget to boost defence spending.

The prime minister declared he would now be increasing the defence budget from its current rate of 2.3% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 2.5% by 2027, three years earlier than planned.

It comes after Donald Trump said Europe could no longer lean on the US for military protection.

The US president is also triggering wider security concerns as he seems to be giving in to Vladimir Putin’s demands just to end the Ukraine war.

But Starmer confirmed he would be reducing the amount spent on international aid from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3% to pay for this bump in defence.

The prime minister said he was not “happy” to make this announcement, but noted that “at times like these the defence and security of the British people must always come first”.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, chair of the Commons international development committee, said: “I urge the prime minister to rethink today’s announcement. Cutting the aid budget to fund defence spending is a false economy that will only make the world less safe.

“The prime minister said today that he was ‘proud’ of the UK’s pioneering work on overseas development. I am bitterly disappointed to see the Government abandon this agenda, not only pulling the rug from under some of the world’s most vulnerable people but endangering our long-term security.”

Charities also hit out at the prime minister, calling the decision “reckless” and “short-sighted”.

The CEO of Bond, the UK network for organisations working in international development, Romilly Greenhill said: “This is a short-sighted and appalling move by both the PM and Treasury.

“Slashing the already diminished UK aid budget to fund an uplift in defence is a reckless decision that will have devastating consequences for millions of marginalised people worldwide.”

She claimed Britain was “following in the US’s footsteps” and that undermine the UK’s global goals as well as weaken its national security interests.

The announcement comes as less than 48 hours before Starmer is due to meet Trump in Washington.

The US president has been calling for Nato member states in particular to hike their defence spending, even claiming it should be hiked to 5%.

Greenhill continued: “Tragically, this cut is even deeper than the last Conservative government’s and will destroy this Labour government’s reputation, tearing to shreds their previous manifesto commitments to rebuild the UK’s international reputation as a reliable global partner.”

Save the Children UK’s CEO, Moazzam Malik, also slammed the news, writing on X: “We are stunned by this decision to cut the aid budget in order to increase military spending. It is a betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable children and the UK’s national interest.”

He said this “signals a withdrawal from efforts to tackle climate change, global poverty and inequality and conflict and humanitarian needs”.

He warned it would damage efforts to address global health, and warned it would “add to economic instability internationally”.

“The impacts will have direct consequences for children and families in the UK as well as around the world.”

Malik continued: “Other countries will watch the UK’s decision and are likely to follow suit in reducing commitments to international collaboration.

“It will undermine aspirations to build a ‘rules based order’ that is so essential for the UK’s long-term security and prosperity. It will make the world a more dangerous place for children now and in the future.”

Malik also pointed out that the move overshadows Starmer’s own promises to defend Ukraine.

“Earlier this week, the prime minister promised to ‘stand with Ukraine’. Now he’s serving notice on the support needed by the country’s children, who have been forced from their homes, seen their schools bombed and lived in fear for three years,” the Save the Children CEO said.

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A statement from our CEO @MoazzamTMalik on the news that the government is cutting the UK aid budget to fund an increase in defence spending:

“We are stunned by this decision to cut the aid budget in order to increase military spending. It is a betrayal of the world’s most… pic.twitter.com/Rk2PA56Ljd

— Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) February 25, 2025

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It is a betrayal of the world’s most… pic.twitter.com/Rk2PA56Ljd— Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) February 25, 2025\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":1350,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GkoqzvZXkAABF5C.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":1080,"title":"Save the Children UK on Twitter / 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A statement from our CEO @MoazzamTMalik on the news that the government is cutting the UK aid budget to fund an increase in defence spending:

“We are stunned by this decision to cut the aid budget in order to increase military spending. It is a betrayal of the world’s most… pic.twitter.com/Rk2PA56Ljd

— Save the Children UK (@savechildrenuk) February 25, 2025

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