US peace plan triggers fear and fury in war-torn Ukraine – Firstpost

Mass graves, ruined churches and the continuing trauma of the occupation still define daily life in Bucha. But as survivors come to terms with the horrors of 2022, a new threat has sparked fresh anger across Ukraine: a US-backed peace plan that would reportedly grant blanket post-war amnesty to Russian soldiers and officials accused of atrocities.

For many Ukrainians, this proposal seems not a path to peace but, as one priest from Butcha said, “a green light for more bombings, more killing.” They fear the move could stoke impunity and deepen the wounds of a country that is still fighting for justice and sovereignty.

In Bucha, where hundreds of civilians were killed in 2022, survivors see the proposed amnesty not as reconciliation but as a fresh blow. Their unease reflects broader national concern about the implications of acquitting Russia and its military and officials of alleged crimes.

The Church of Andrew the Apostle stands next to a mass grave where civilians remain – some shot in the streets, some showing signs of torture – and buried, a reminder of the horrors that many feared could be ignored under the proposed deal.

Father Andrey Halavin, who leads the parish at the still-damaged church, said any apology would be valid.SAs the war continues to escalate, violence is increasing.

“It’s a green light,” he said after Sunday’s service. “It means you can keep bombing, keep killing soldiers, all with the confidence that nothing will happen.”

The mass killings were revealed as Russian forces withdrew from the area following a failed attempt to capture Kiev during a full-scale invasion in 2022.

Father Andrey said that several criminals have already been identified. He stressed that justice is not about revenge, but about proving that accountability still matters – especially when Ukrainians are being asked to consider painful compromises for peace.

The proposed 28-point peace deal followed secret talks between envoys of Russia and US President Donald Trump.

Ukraine would cede territory beyond the lands currently controlled by Moscow, reduce its military and give up NATO membership. In return, Kiev would receive international security guarantees and reconstruction assistance.

At the military cemetery of Bucha, 66-year-old Veera Katanenko visited the grave of her son Andrey, who was killed in fighting in the Donetsk region last year. For him, the peace plan and the proposed amnesty are unimaginable.

“I can’t accept it,” she said. “They want an apology for all the war crimes, including Bucha? This is appalling. Let them come here – let Trump himself come here. Let him and his family come, see our pain, and maybe then they will change their minds.”

European leaders are insisting that Ukraine must be included in peace talks and that its sovereignty must be protected.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says the plan represents one of the war’s most difficult moments, promising to work with Washington but seek change.

Not far from Bucha, mourners gathered for the funeral of serviceman Ruslan Zihunov, a 41-year-old machine gunner who was killed in eastern Ukraine.

Uncertainty over the peace plan hung heavy among relatives and neighbors as they watched the burials in the rain – another reminder, they said, of how fragile any promised future now seems.

“How can you replace your ancestral domain with something? For what?” asked Andrey Honcharuk, a 71-year-old retired regional defense volunteer who attended the service wearing a uniform. “The war will not end soon. We will continue to die for a long time yet.”

With input from AP.