After another week of heavy Russian bombardment on Ukrainian cities, a powerful image circulating on social media has drawn parallels between Kyiv’s endurance and London’s wartime resilience during the Blitz. One half of the image shows Londoners shopping amid ruins in the 1940s; the other shows Ukrainians at an outdoor market under a column of black smoke rising from a nearby strike. The caption reads simply: “Bombs can’t stop markets.”
That defiance has become emblematic of Ukraine’s spirit, even as fear and fatigue grow. Yet beyond the symbolism, a harder question looms — how to end a war now entering its fourth year. And as President Donald Trump reasserts his role as a supposed peacemaker, a once-taboo term from history has resurfaced: appeasement.
The issue took centre stage after Trump’s tense meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. The US president reportedly framed the war as a personal dispute between two men, suggesting Ukraine accept a settlement along existing front lines — a stance critics immediately labelled “weakness through appeasement.”
Meanwhile, Russia has intensified attacks on cities far from the front line, launching hundreds of drones and missiles nightly. According to the UN, nearly 2,000 civilians have been killed this year alone, bringing the total death toll above 14,000 since the invasion began. The economic strain on Ukraine is mounting, as costly air defences attempt to counter waves of cheap Russian drones.
Zelensky’s visit to Europe days later painted a contrasting picture. In Brussels and London, leaders pledged new sanctions on Moscow and vowed to use frozen Russian assets to support Kyiv. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also promised greater assistance in providing long-range weapons.
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The historical echoes are hard to miss. Critics compare Trump’s caution to Neville Chamberlain’s efforts to placate Hitler in the 1930s — a policy remembered as disastrous. But supporters argue the president’s restraint reflects concern over escalating a nuclear conflict.
Still, as Russian strikes deepen and Ukraine’s resilience hardens, the question persists: where is the line between pragmatism and surrender? For many Ukrainians, the answer is simple — peace must never come at the price of submission.