Defiant Ukrainians blame Trump betrayal for latest battlefield horrors

As the globe reels from the political events of the last week, Ukrainians blame Donald Trump for backing Vladimir Putin in what they see as another attempt by Russia to wipe them out completely. World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports from Kyiv

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On the ground, Ukrainians are acutely aware of the repercussions of Donald Trump’s hardline decision to cut aid and access to military intelligence in the wake of his fateful White House row with Volodymyr Zelensky.

During the last day of fighting alone, Russian commandos have reportedly spearheaded an assault using an abandoned oil pipeline to sneak behind Ukrainian forces occupying part of Russia’s Kursk region.

Elite airborne and marine units backed by North Korean soldiers also launched full-frontal assaults on the Ukrainians under a barrage of artillery, drones and air attacks.

A Russian rocket launcher firing toward a Ukrainian position in the Kursk region border area (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service )

The latest attacks come after Vladimir Putin’s escalated violence was described as “what anybody else would do” by Mr Trump.

And leaving Ukraine in the dark has certainly given Putin a crucial advantage. “We’re losing,” one Ukrainian fighting in Kursk wrote in a text message to The Independent.

Meanwhile, in Kyiv, small crowds gathered on Sunday to support demands for the release of prisoners of war captured by Russia.

They further marked the birthday of Ukraine’s most celebrated poet, Taras Shevchenko, who fought for the recognition of his mother tongue in the 19th century.

People protest against Donald Trump's policy on Ukraine in front of the US Embassy in Kyiv on Saturday (AP)

Many Ukrainians are defiant at what they see as Russia’s latest attempt to wipe them out completely. And they reacted with scorn towards the help that Mr Trump has given Russia.

“It’s a betrayal. This whole war has been a betrayal,” said one supporter who would only give her first name, Victoria.

Crowds also gathered to protest in Kyiv on Sunday (Sam Kiley/The Independent )

She recalled the stories she heard from her grandmother of the last major Russian-led attempt to destroy a country that Putin claims “does not exist”.

Scared of history repeating itself, she told The Independent: “My relatives, my grandmother, her family, my great-grandmother, all suffered from it; they starved in the 1930s.

“My grandmother told me some terrible stories. How she had to get food… in the neighbouring villages, people were eating people, from hunger. It really happened.”

Victoria told The Independent Trump’s actions were ‘a betrayal’ (Sam Kiley/The Independent)

Tetiana Chugonova said her son, Shulga Ruslan Igorovych, was captured while fighting in Mariupol during one of the biggest battles of the current war. She has had only two letters from him, and said he is now a prisoner of war in Russia.

When asked if she thinks Mr Trump could help, she replied: “Not really. I think Trump is leaning towards Moscow, towards Russia.”

Demonstrators hold placards as they stand next to a sign reading ‘no to looting Ukraine’ during a protest called ‘America, wake up’ on Saturday ( AFP/Getty)

British businessman and scientist Alexander Fergusson came out to join the demonstrations. His company produces FPV (First Person View) drones for the Ukrainian armed forces.

Dr Fergusson said: “I am extremely frustrated [over the Trump administration’s new support for Putin]. I have a lot of American friends who, I would say, are apoplectic with rage.

“I am here to show my support and that come hell or high weather, I am going to stand with Ukraine.”

Tetiana Chugonova said she thinks Trump is leaning towards Russia instead of Ukraine (Sam Kiley/The Independent)

Meanwhile Mr Zelensky is due to travel to Saudi Arabia to meet with crown prince Mohammed bin Salman in the coming days. Ukraine will also have a team that will stay on in Riyadh as the US begins talks with Ukrainian and Russian officials.

Mr Zelensky wrote on social media platform X: “Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively.

“On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps.”

Shulga Ruslan Igorovych was captured while fighting in Mariupol during one of the biggest battles of the current war (Sam Kiley/The Independent )

But following the latest assaults, the Russians have been able to drive a wedge into the territory in Kursk that Ukraine had hoped to use in any future negotiations with the Kremlin.

And with the US now seen across Europe as firmly in Russia’s camp, it is feared the talks may prove to be fruitless.

There are further concerns that Mr Trump’s adviser Elon Musk may try to gag Ukraine’s forces by cutting off the Starlink satellite system, which is the military’s main means of communication.

Alexander Fergusson said his American friends are ‘apoplectic with rage’ over what has happened (Sam Kiley/The Independent )

Mr Musk threatened on Sunday to shut down Starlink in Ukraine, adding the country’s “entire front line would collapse if I turned it off”.

Mr Musk started out as a supporter of Ukraine’s war effort after the Russian invasion of 2022. But since joining Mr Trump’s election campaign and now his staff, the billionaire has swung firmly behind Putin.

“What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose,” he wrote.

He has not demanded that Putin observe a ceasefire and has endorsed campaigns for the US to leave Nato, which Putin sees as a major threat to his regime.

Many Ukrainians are defiant at what they see as Russia’s latest attempt to wipe them out ( Sam Kiley/The Independent)

“Doesn’t make sense for America to pay for the defence of Europe,” Mr Musk added.

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, known for his extravagant claims of Russian military successes, claimed on Sunday that recent advances in Kursk meant Kyiv’s soldiers were almost surrounded.

He wrote: “The lid of the smoking cauldron is almost closed. The offensive continues.”

An estimated 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers may be in the Kursk salient. These include British, American, French, German and other volunteers from around the world, who have been serving in Ukraine’s International Legion on the front lines over the past three years.

But despite the latest reports, one veteran of the legion, who experienced ferocious battles in Luhansk and Bakhmut, had a positive view of the enduring determination of the soldiers.

“It’s looking bad for them, but they won’t be trapped. They’ll fight their way out,” he said.

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