To freeze the war by conceding territory is to freeze the suffering of those living under Russian occupation.
From: Kyiv Independent by Danylo Mokryk — Reporter at the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit
The following opinion piece accompanies the Kyiv Independent’s War Crimes Investigations Unit’s newly released documentary, “Shadows Across the River.” Watch the documentary by clicking here.
“Let Russia retain control over occupied Ukrainian territories to finally freeze this war!” This refrain, repeated in media and political discourse worldwide, has become a popular “peace plan” for Russia’s war against Ukraine. Yet, one crucial question is rarely asked: What would this formula mean for Ukrainians living under Russian occupation?
Perhaps this question is overlooked because some assume life in these occupied regions has normalized, that people have adapted, and that everything is fine. This impression is precisely what Russian propaganda works to promote while barring independent observers, journalists, and law enforcement from accessing these territories. The truth remains obscured, buried under Russian state media’s portrayal of control and calm.
Voice of Ukraine 