Following another week of intensive and lethal Russian bombardment of Ukraine's cities, a composite image has been doing the rounds on Ukrainian social media. Underneath an old, black-and-white photo of Londoners queuing at a fruit and vegetable stall surrounded by the bombed-out rubble of the Blitz, a second image - this time in colour - creates a striking juxtaposition. Taken on Saturday, it shows shoppers thronging to similar stalls in a northern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a column of black smoke rises ominously in the background. Bombs can't stop markets, reads the caption linking the two images.
The night before, as the city's sleep was interrupted once again by the now all-too-familiar booms of missile and drone strikes, two people were killed and nine others injured. The implication is clear: rather than destroying public morale, Russia's dramatic ramping up of attacks on Ukrainian cities is conjuring a spirit of resilience reminiscent of 1940s Britain. When I visited the market - with the black fumes still billowing from the missile strike on a nearby warehouse - that sense of fortitude was evident. But there was plenty of fear, too.
Halyna, selling dried prunes and mushrooms, told me she saw little cause for optimism. In my opinion, according to the scriptures of the saints, this war hasn't even started yet. It will get worse, way worse. A shopper who told me she had felt her house tremble from the force of the blast was still visibly shaken by the experience.
For Ukraine, the far bigger question is not how to endure this war, but how to stop it. The debate over whether Ukraine should wage war against or negotiate with an aggressor has been reignited as Russia intensifies its attacks, now targeting not just military but civilian infrastructure. With a staggering number of civilian casualties reported and a seemingly endless barrage of missile strikes, the sustainability of Ukraine's resistance is called into question, especially against the backdrop of international political maneuvering.
Amid these tumultuous circumstances, the recent visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the US saw him face unexpected challenges from both Trump and national expectations for conflict resolution. The dichotomy of opinions on how to deal with Russia, highlighted by calls for appeasement, weighs heavily on Ukrainian consciousness as they strive for survival and the hope of a resolute end to hostilities.
The night before, as the city's sleep was interrupted once again by the now all-too-familiar booms of missile and drone strikes, two people were killed and nine others injured. The implication is clear: rather than destroying public morale, Russia's dramatic ramping up of attacks on Ukrainian cities is conjuring a spirit of resilience reminiscent of 1940s Britain. When I visited the market - with the black fumes still billowing from the missile strike on a nearby warehouse - that sense of fortitude was evident. But there was plenty of fear, too.
Halyna, selling dried prunes and mushrooms, told me she saw little cause for optimism. In my opinion, according to the scriptures of the saints, this war hasn't even started yet. It will get worse, way worse. A shopper who told me she had felt her house tremble from the force of the blast was still visibly shaken by the experience.
For Ukraine, the far bigger question is not how to endure this war, but how to stop it. The debate over whether Ukraine should wage war against or negotiate with an aggressor has been reignited as Russia intensifies its attacks, now targeting not just military but civilian infrastructure. With a staggering number of civilian casualties reported and a seemingly endless barrage of missile strikes, the sustainability of Ukraine's resistance is called into question, especially against the backdrop of international political maneuvering.
Amid these tumultuous circumstances, the recent visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the US saw him face unexpected challenges from both Trump and national expectations for conflict resolution. The dichotomy of opinions on how to deal with Russia, highlighted by calls for appeasement, weighs heavily on Ukrainian consciousness as they strive for survival and the hope of a resolute end to hostilities.
