“How Much More Can We Give?” — A Wounded Ukrainian Soldier’s Question as Diplomacy Presses for Concessions

Pavlo Martsenyuk, 34, is recovering at the rehabilitation facility in Lviv known as "Unbroken Hospital" after an anti-tank mine explosion left him blind in both eyes. The injury and its aftermath have forced him into a long, painful process of physical and psychological recovery as he works to preserve the memory of friends and comrades killed since the full-scale invasion began nearly four years ago.

"I couldn't calm myself down and control my stream of thoughts," Martsenyuk said. He described how actively addressing his mental health helped him regain some control. Over the past year, surgeons have reconstructed his face and he has been adapting to what he calls "an entirely new life." His immediate goals are to transition to civilian life and to set an example for his children.

Martsenyuk's experience puts a human face on the wider costs of the war and helps explain why many Ukrainians resist proposals that could require giving up territory. He worries that people outside Ukraine do not fully grasp the scale of the sacrifice or what is at stake.

Diplomatic Push and the Sticking Point

High-level diplomacy has intensified: Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff were due to meet President Vladimir Putin in Moscow to discuss a U.S.-backed proposal aimed at ending the fighting. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been meeting with European leaders to secure continued support for Ukraine's defense.

Public details remain limited, but a major point of contention is any proposal that would ask Kyiv to cede currently occupied territory to Moscow in exchange for a ceasefire. Supporters of such an approach argue it could halt further fighting; critics say it would reward aggression and set a dangerous precedent.

"We have already given up territory — we have given part of ourselves. How much more can we give?" Martsenyuk asked.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump recently said his plan required Russia to make concessions, quoting them as "big concessions": "They stop fighting, and they don't take any more land." Ukrainian leaders and many European officials, including Poland's Donald Tusk, have warned against pressuring Kyiv to surrender land. Tusk wrote on social media that pressure should be placed on Russia to stop its aggression, noting the historical lessons of 20th-century Europe about the dangers of appeasement.

The Human Toll

Ukrainian officials have not released an official total of combat deaths since the invasion began. An investigation published in June by the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that between 60,000 and 100,000 Ukrainian service members have died. For soldiers like Martsenyuk, the debate over diplomacy is not abstract: it concerns the lives, bodies, and futures of people who have already paid a steep price.

"Pity is not needed," Martsenyuk said. "Understanding is needed. There is very little understanding." His plea is for practical support and clearer international understanding of what continuing to resist — or conceding ground — would mean for Ukrainians on the front lines and at home.