The Author’s Story: A Soldier’s Perspective on the War in Ukraine
Before the war, Sergii Gavryliuk was a printer in Kyiv. He had travelled the world, met his wife, and started a small business making advertising materials and T-shirts. Like many others, he had plans for the future and dreams of a peaceful life. But everything changed when violence came to his doorstep three years ago.
Now, Sergii serves in the Ukrainian army – not because he chooses war, but because it was forced upon him. Since Russia began its campaign to control Ukraine, Sergii and his fellow soldiers have had no choice but to stand and defend their home, their people, and their freedom. In the midst of this chaos and destruction, Sergii has learned valuable lessons about the true value of freedom and its essential role in achieving peace.
As he reflects on the meaning of peace, Sergii thinks about his family and how it has grown. Recently, his wife and he welcomed twin daughters into the world. But instead of looking forward to their first steps or first words, Sergii finds himself asking, “Will they grow up free, or in an occupied land where everything Ukrainian is erased?”
This question becomes even more pressing when he hears thought leaders like Elon Musk ask what Ukrainians are fighting and dying for. After three years of war – a war that has taken the lives of their friends, injured Sergii himself, and threatened his family – hearing such words is unbearable.
The answer to Musk’s question is simple: they are fighting for their right to exist as a nation. This answer is not just Ukrainian in principle, but it is also American. In the spring of 2022, most Americans stood with Ukraine, and their support has been crucial in this ongoing battle. Sergii owes his life to the United States – commanding a Bradley infantry fighting vehicle supplied by the US has saved him more times than he can count.
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. The US’s support not only helps them liberate their homes but also keeps them alive and able to return to them.
However, since Donald Trump’s return to 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 the Ukrainian people.
It appears that the President of the United States has a different understanding of peace than the Ukrainian people do. He doesn’t seem to care what their country will look like the day after his deal goes through, as long as he can be the man who ended the war. His words about caring for Ukrainian soldiers ring hollow when he recently blocked critical aid to Ukraine, leaving their army 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. Sergii knows this all too well, as he has lost a friend in combat. He died in Sergii’s arms in the ruins of a house – a place that was once someone’s home. As he held his friend’s hand, Sergii thought about how another wife is left without a husband, another child without a father, and another mother mourning her son. He thinks of his friend when he hears American leaders say that Ukraine is responsible for this war.
Every war eventually comes to an end, and like every Ukrainian, Sergii dreams of the day when peace finally returns to their land. They want to live, build their future, and shape their nation – a country with a thousand years of history. But what kind of peace are they 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? Sergii highly doubts it. And even if they do, what happens next? History has proven time and again that agreements with Russia hold no value. He has no illusions: the Kremlin will never abandon its imperial ambitions. If left unchecked, they will regroup, rearm, and strike again.
The citizens of Ukraine know the cost of Russian promises. They remember the names of people who are no
