LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Russia still has not agreed to a ceasefire in Ukraine, despite the Trump administration's attempts to end the war. Ukraine says Russian airstrikes on Sunday killed more than 30 people, including two children, in the far east border town of Sumy. President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One last night, without details, that Russia made a mistake. Ukrainian military officers say Russia is taking advantage of the uncertainty around negotiations. And as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports, a group of them spent time meeting American politicians, church leaders and others to dispel what they say are the myths of war.
MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: The end of wars can be the bloodiest time, says Vladislav Sobolevsky, Deputy Commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
VLADISLAV SOBOLEVSKY: (Speaking Ukrainian).
KELEMEN: "The Trump administration is trying to end the war," he says, "and Russia sees a weak point." He says Russia is trying to impose maximum bloodshed to further pressure Ukraine ahead of any peace talks. Sobolevsky is hoping the Trump administration will get tougher with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who he says has been relying on Iranian weapons, help from China and North Korea.
SOBOLEVSKY: We fighting, like, for Western world. We're facing all the problems, all the threats you guys had from not, like, 30 years - 70 years. We're fighting North Koreans. We are fighting Chinese people. We captured two of them.
KELEMEN: On Ukrainian territory. China has accused Ukraine of making irresponsible statements about this and says the Chinese government wants a peaceful settlement to the war, and encourages Chinese nationals to stay away from the conflict. Sobolevsky says he's heard about Chinese volunteers fighting on behalf of Russia since the start of this conflict and suspects there are hundreds of them.
SOBOLEVSKY: One, it's tourists. Another one, it's, like, student, and it's the usual scenario.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Right.
SOBOLEVSKY: You have to hire...
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Yeah.
SOBOLEVSKY: ...Some people because Russians are not so motivated to die on battlefield.
KELEMEN: Sobolevsky has been touring the U.S. with the Snake Island Institute, a Ukrainian group trying to strengthen ties with the U.S. Military medic Viktoriia Honcharuk says she often hears Americans say that Ukraine doesn't want the war to end. But she says she was a pacifist, working on Wall Street when Russia began its full-scale invasion.
VIKTORIIA HONCHARUK: I had the, like, American dream. You know, I lived in Midtown in Manhattan, and it was really good. And I would have been so much happier doing this now - like, going to private equity now and sipping my expensive cocktails somewhere in Manhattan.
KELEMEN: But Russia came close to occupying her hometown three years ago.
HONCHARUK: When this happens, there is no other choice but to stand up to a bully and to protect what matters to you.
KELEMEN: Now she's rescuing the wounded or bringing back bodies from the front lines - including soldiers who were teenagers when this war began.
Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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