Kyiv, Ukraine – The timing for United States President Donald Trump’s new peace plan and a menacing ultimatum for Ukraine could not be worse.Russian troops, drones and fog-generating robots have punctured the southeastern front line as civilians in the city of Zaporizhzhia hear new, harrowing notes in their almost nightly cannonade – the sound of heavy gliding bombs.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listAt the same time, Russian shelling keeps destroying Ukraine’s power generation and transmission infrastructure, causing hours-long blackouts as the sun sets at 4pm and night temperatures plunge below freezing point.On Tuesday, Ukraine was in a state of mourning yet again, after Russian attacks killed at least six people overnight in Kyiv. In Russia, at least three were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the southern Rostov region.To some Ukrainian servicemen, Trump’s plan, which favours Russia’s wartime ambitions, is a bitter reality check and a reminder of squandered opportunities.The collective West’s “helplessness and cynicism are endless”, Bohdan, a Ukrainian drone operator on leave in Kyiv from the eastern front, told Al Jazeera.“They kept withholding military aid, couldn’t agree on how to respond, and we keep paying for their indecisiveness with our blood, the blood of our children,” he said, withholding his last name according to wartime regulations. Smoke rises from an apartment building hit by a morning Russian missile strike in Ternopil, Ukraine, November 19, 2025 [Andriy Bodak/Reuters]He retains some optimism, believing Moscow has limited ability to advance. Advertisement “It took them three years to seize 1 percent of our t …
