Russia-Ukraine War: Beyond Peace Negotiations
As I was keeping up with the latest updates on the Russia-Ukraine War, I saw that many
recent articles were not only about the war but also about negotiations for peace.
Once negotiations begin, people expect the situation to mitigate, but I think the actual
situation on the battlefield is more complex.
According to the articles published in November 2025 on The Kyiv Independent and Al
Jazeera, missiles and drone attacks continued, and civilians were killed and wounded while
negotiations for peace were being discussed. Because the two were happening at the same
time, it made me want to learn more.
It says in the article by The Kyiv Independent that Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities
experienced power and water disruptions after Russia launched large-scale attacks on Nov.
25. What was especially memorable in the article was what a Kyiv resident said. She said,
“We’ve already adapted and treat this as part of our daily routine.” By “this,” she meant
attacks from Russia. Reading this statement made me realize that the damage caused by a
prolonged war cannot be explained simply by the number of casualties or collapsed buildings.
As the war continues, people’s attitude towards responding to danger and their ways of living
change.
A few days later, on November 29, the situation didn’t change that much. According to the
article by Al Jazeera, a Russian attack on Ukraine has killed six people and wounded dozens
of others while the negotiators from Ukraine had left for the United States to seek a
“dignified peace,” trying to end the war started by Russia’s full-scale invasion. The peace
plan proposed by the U.S has been discussed, but many issues remain. This made me realize
how differently peace negotiations and the actual war were progressing. Even though
discussions on ending the war were happening diplomatically, people in Ukraine were still
being attacked.
Reading the two articles, I felt that it is more important to look at the actual impacts made by
the negotiations than the peace negotiations themselves. The negotiations were continuing,
but at the same time, missile and drone attacks also continued, along with civilian injuries
and deaths. Therefore, I think peace negotiations should be more about ensuring that actual
attacks have stopped and civilian lives have improved. If we look at the situation of the war
and negotiations separately, we may view the circumstances too optimistically or over simplify.
Through these articles, I realized that we should focus not only on the existence of peace negotiations, but also on how the results of the negotiations actually affect the lives of civilians. Diplomacy is necessary to end a war, but it is difficult to judge if the situation is improving just from continued talks.
From now on when I read news about wars, I think it is important to look beyond the details of the peace negotiations and pay attention to whether the size of the attacks and the number of casualties have decreased. I also think it’s crucial to see if the daily lives of civilians have been restored. If peace is truly drawing near, the progress should be seen in diplomatic meetings, battlefields, and in the lives of civilians.
Works Cited
Khanna, Chandan. “TOPSHOT-US-UKRAINE-RUSSIA-DIPLOMACY- CONFLICT.” Getty Images, 30 Nov. 2025.
News Agencies. “Russian Attack on Ukraine Kills Six as Kyiv Envoys Travel to US for Talks.” Al Jazeera, 29 Nov. 2025.
Ogirenko, Valentyn. “Aftermath of a Russian Missile and Drone Attack, in Kyiv.” Reuters Connect, 25 Nov. 2025.
Pakhnyuk, Lucy, Abbey Fenbert, and Tania Myronyshena. “‘The Doors Were Blown Out Instantly’ — Russia Bombards Kyiv with Missiles, Drones, Killing 7.” The Kyiv Independent, 25 Nov. 2025.
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