Following another week of intensive and lethal Russian bombardment of Ukraine's cities, a composite image has been doing the rounds on Ukrainian social media. Underneath an old, black-and-white photo of Londoners queuing at a fruit and vegetable stall surrounded by the bombed-out rubble of the Blitz, a second image - this time in colour - creates a striking juxtaposition.
Taken on Saturday, it shows shoppers thronging to similar stalls in a northern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a column of black smoke rises ominously in the background. Bombs can't stop markets, reads the caption linking the two images.
The night before, as the city's sleep was interrupted once again by the now all-too-familiar booms of missile and drone strikes, two people were killed and nine others injured. The implication is clear. Rather than destroying public morale, Russia's dramatic ramping up of attacks on Ukrainian cities is conjuring a spirit of resilience reminiscent of 1940s Britain.
When I visited the market - with the black fumes still billowing from a missile strike on a nearby warehouse - that sense of fortitude was evident. But there was plenty of fear, too. Halyna, selling dried prunes and mushrooms, told me she saw little cause for optimism. In my opinion, according to the scriptures of the saints, this war hasn't even started yet. It will get worse, way worse, she added.
Inspiring memes about blitz-spirit are all very well, but for Ukraine the far bigger question is not how to endure this war, but how to stop it. The question of whether Ukraine should fight against or negotiate with an aggressor has been there since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But more than three years after it launched its full-scale invasion, the war is entering a new phase, and that word has re-entered the global debate.
As the Kremlin insists on targeting military and quasi-military stations, civilian areas have not been spared. The recent changes in U.S. foreign policy under President Trump have reignited old debates around appeasement, leaving Ukraine caught in a geopolitical struggle that combines historical lessons with current realities.
With both the human toll and financial burdens on the rise, the urgency for a resolution has never been clearer. As the world watches, the resilience of the people of Ukraine continues to shine through, even as they face escalating challenges.
Taken on Saturday, it shows shoppers thronging to similar stalls in a northern suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, while a column of black smoke rises ominously in the background. Bombs can't stop markets, reads the caption linking the two images.
The night before, as the city's sleep was interrupted once again by the now all-too-familiar booms of missile and drone strikes, two people were killed and nine others injured. The implication is clear. Rather than destroying public morale, Russia's dramatic ramping up of attacks on Ukrainian cities is conjuring a spirit of resilience reminiscent of 1940s Britain.
When I visited the market - with the black fumes still billowing from a missile strike on a nearby warehouse - that sense of fortitude was evident. But there was plenty of fear, too. Halyna, selling dried prunes and mushrooms, told me she saw little cause for optimism. In my opinion, according to the scriptures of the saints, this war hasn't even started yet. It will get worse, way worse, she added.
Inspiring memes about blitz-spirit are all very well, but for Ukraine the far bigger question is not how to endure this war, but how to stop it. The question of whether Ukraine should fight against or negotiate with an aggressor has been there since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But more than three years after it launched its full-scale invasion, the war is entering a new phase, and that word has re-entered the global debate.
As the Kremlin insists on targeting military and quasi-military stations, civilian areas have not been spared. The recent changes in U.S. foreign policy under President Trump have reignited old debates around appeasement, leaving Ukraine caught in a geopolitical struggle that combines historical lessons with current realities.
With both the human toll and financial burdens on the rise, the urgency for a resolution has never been clearer. As the world watches, the resilience of the people of Ukraine continues to shine through, even as they face escalating challenges.
