Russian contract soldiers participate in training exercises at a firing range in the southern Krasnodar region of Russia on Monday.

Months of combat on the Ukrainian front have not dampened Kostya's sense of humor, even when discussing Donald Trump. Concerns are widespread in Ukraine that the US president-elect, who claimed he could secure a ceasefire within 24 hours of taking office, might pressure Kyiv into accepting peace on Russia's terms. Soldiers like Kostya, who are resisting a slow but persistent Russian advance in the eastern Donbas region, are skeptical of any swift agreement between Kyiv and Moscow.

"January 20 is Trump's inauguration. January 21 is the end of the war. On January 22, I plan to celebrate my birthday at home," Kostya said sarcastically. The 23-year-old was taking a break with comrades, enjoying a kebab he described as "disgusting," just a few kilometers from the city of Kurakhove, which is under Russian attack.

"A quick peace is possible," Kostya continued more seriously. "But only at our expense," added Valerya, a 22-year-old serving alongside him. Trump has yet to outline how he might bring the warring parties to the negotiating table, let alone strike a deal acceptable to both sides. Unlike President Joe Biden, Trump has not called for a Ukrainian victory and has frequently criticized US military aid to Kyiv.

Fears about Trump's approach have intensified since he appointed Keith Kellogg, a retired general who has urged Kyiv to make concessions to end the war, as his Ukraine envoy. The promise of a swift end to the conflict has not reassured Ukrainian soldiers, who have been fighting Russian troops for nearly three years. Kostya believes even a hypothetical truce would not halt Russia's aggression. "We would get only a short-term peace; the war will continue," he said. He feels that Western allies are abandoning Ukraine to face a more powerful enemy alone.

Russia's offensive intensified in November, with its troops advancing over 725 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory, mainly in the eastern Donetsk region. This was Moscow's largest monthly gain since March 2022. Soldiers like Volodymyr, stationed near the coal-mining city, feel the war's toll. "We are losing," he said, looking much older than his 23 years after months of grueling combat. Despite the exhaustion, he agrees that a quick peace is unlikely. "Russia will attack again, whatever happens."

Many share this view, including a former history teacher turned soldier who goes by the call-sign of French author Alexandre Dumas. The 44-year-old does not believe in "sweet dreams of peace in 24 hours." Civilians like Yuri, a former miner who recently fled the city of Toretsk, are also against a truce. His house was bombed, and he had to dig in vain to retrieve his son's body. He sees calls for a quick peace as an insult. "I don't believe it. Putin will go right to the end of Ukraine," he said.

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