I received this message from a Ukrainian in response to my post below. He gave me permission to quote him here: "The people who truly face war and live through it every day are the ones who most desire peace, tranquility, and an end to this horror; conversely, those unaffected by it—or those profiting from it—see no reason for it to stop." "Statistically, Ukrainians suffering daily—especially in the east and south—desperately want the fighting to end, whereas those in the west who profit from the war (such as through high rents) do not; they are rarely targeted by missiles or drones, let alone aerial bombs or FPVs. Meanwhile, Ukrainians who fled to Europe advocate for the war to continue, as it gives them a reason to stay there without having to do anything to earn it." "I am from the Donbas myself and faced discrimination because of my birthplace; back when we were calling for peace as early as 2014, we were branded separatists, terrorists, and worse, and were denied housing in Kyiv and the west. While we sought peace, propaganda conditioned people to believe we deserved to be killed, humiliated, and insulted; this drove a deep wedge between us and the rest of the population, leading us to interact primarily with our fellow countrymen." "I have always wanted peace and still do, but alas, I am trapped in Ukraine, unable to work or walk the streets safely due to mobilization. I refuse to give even a drop of blood for a state system that instilled hatred toward me in others simply because I was born in a specific region of the country. I harbor no hatred toward Russians; in fact, it is quite telling that my friends from Russia are more concerned about my well-being—asking how I am and whether I have food—than anyone else." These are the people who should decide what to do with the war - not Europeans, and not Americans. Ukrainians.