Hope and fears of the wife of Ukraine -Baits -Pilot on the eve of the cease transaction

Mary’s life was reduced to the expectation of the next phone call from her husband – never knowing whether it could be the last.

Ivan, a 31-year-old Ukrainian fighter pilot, began to defend the sky from the first hours of a full-scale invasion of Russia in February 2022 and has now flew more than 200 dangerous missions in his old Soviet era-29 plane.

The squadron commander lost several comrades in the war. Some were close friends. Others were guys for each other’s kids. The location of its current air base in Western Ukraine cannot be revealed for security reasons.

But since US -stopped fire talks are collecting pace – and fresh negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, scheduled for Monday, have changed.

“If there is some ceasefire (approximately), we will feel safer,” says Maria.

More and more people openly talk about military fatigue across Ukraine. They urge to stop the most violent fighting in Europe after World War II, and for Western defense’s solid guarantees so that Russia cannot attack again.

At the same time, Maria fears that any transaction may provide for a loss of four Ukrainian regions in the southeast partially confiscated by RussiaAs well as Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014. “Nobody will return our lost territories,” says a 29-year-old boy. “They will remain under the Russian occupation.”

She asks, “What (what) so many men, our heroes, sacrifices their lives when Ukraine cannot fight for them and have to make concessions?”

When Maria and Ivan met, the prospect of a full -scale war in Ukraine seemed impossible.

Maria was a teacher of English at a local children’s club in the west of Ukraine, which was attended by the daughter of one of the comrades Ivan. The product suggested creating Ivan with Mary, which he called “a very good teacher.”

At first Ivan felt pressure on the agreement – but he eventually agreed to come.

He was glad he did. They soon began to see.

On one of the first dates, Ivan warned Maria that he had dangerous work. She said it wouldn’t be a problem. Ivan was courageous, caring and protective, and Mary fell in love.

He soon had to go for a long -term deployment far from home. They lost communication for the year, and they seemed to end their relationship.

But then he returned with a giant bouquet of flowers and promised her that he did not want to spend his time. They were married during the year, and they soon waited for their first child.

Maria realized that Russia launched a full -scale invasion of what he meant about the harsh realities of his work.

At that time, their daughter Yaroslav was only three months old. Ivan missed his early milestones: helping her to take the first steps, seeing her first teeth passed and comforting her during the first illness.

“When Ivan is located far from home, I send him thousands of photos of our daughter to help him feel that at least he spends the day with us,” says Maria.

On one nearest mission, Maria put her daughter in a baby stroller and rushed to the checkpoint where he could end to catch them for five minutes.

She brought him home food. They talked. And she found that every minute it cost together the months they had been waiting.

Before Yaroslav could even speak, she used her tiny hands to gesture her dad flew across the sky.

“Our daughter knows her dad is a pilot,” she says. “When she had a birthday, and her father ate a birthday cake over a video call, we explained to her that he could not be with us when he defended himself from Ukraine.”

Now the family has professional photos taken from them every six months. “It is very difficult for me to say, but I have to be quite honest. We never know if it will (be) our last call or meeting,” says Maria, tears on the border.

She feels that she should be ready for “everything, including the worst scenario.”

During the first year of the war, she regularly hears the victims among friends. “You call your wives and can’t find words to say. And you are afraid that one day you can be in the same situation.”

Ukrainians are looking for specific guarantees of defense by the US and Europe, as well as an increase in the reserve of Western fighters to restrain Russian aggression.

The country has received a number of US F-16s and French Mirage fighters, but the country’s Air Force is still largely relying on the old aircraft of the Soviet government or the match for a more advanced Russian aircraft.

Mary hopes for ceasefire. It can “freeze” the conflict at best, she says, but it is difficult to hope because it does not trust Russia.

Vladimir Putin wants to stop Western military assistance to Kiev and exploration with UkrainiansAs well as the termination of mobilization in Ukraine.

Many experts say his demands are just a reason to continue the war he started, despite the heavy Russian victims.

There is also concerns that Donald Trump-who has publicly stated that the end of the war-one of his main priorities-can prepare a backstage with Russia, which would make Ukraine accept painful concessions.

Even after the ceasefire, Maria is still waiting for calls and rare meetings, as the Ukrainian Air Force will have to be vigilant for a long time.

And although there may be peace in Ukraine, she wonders whether her husband will again be in the world. Maria says that Ivan, who suffered badly on the front line, has a “patriotic soul” and will continue to serve even after the war.

Mary believes that it is important for him not to feel that the victims were in vain, and it remains to be hoped that Russian parts of Kherson, Zaritsa, Donetsk and Luhansk will be returned once.

Mary is now a priority for her husband and offering him optimism. She dreams of the future when her young family can finally start restoring her life in her own, in her country.

“My husband should know that we always expect him.”