The hopes and fears of the wife of a fighter of Ukraine in front of the deal to end fire

Maria’s life is reduced to waiting for the next phone call from her husband – he never knows if it can be the last.

Ivan, a 31-year-old Ukrainian fighter pilot, began defending the sky from the first hours of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has now flew over 200 dangerous missions in its old Soviet-era military aircraft.

The squadron commander has lost several comrades in the war. Some were close friends. Others were the godfathers of the children each other. The location of its current air base in Western Ukraine cannot be disclosed for security reasons.

But since the US -led efforts to negotiate fire is gathering tempo – and new conversations with Russia and Ukraine planned on Monday – things have changed.

“If it comes (around) (around), we will feel more secure,” says Maria.

In Ukraine, more and more people are openly talking about tired of war. They call for the end of the most brutal fighting in Europe after World War II and for firm guarantees of Western defense to ensure that Russia cannot attack again.

At the same time, Maria fears that any transaction may involve the acceptance of the loss of four Ukrainian regions in the southeast part partially seized from RussiaLike the Crimea, applied by Russia in 2014. “No one will return our lost territories,” says the 29-year-old. “They will remain under the Russian occupation.”

She asks, “What (do) so many men, our characters, sacrifice their lives if Ukraine cannot fight for them and is forced to make discounts?”

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

Maria was an English teacher at a local children’s club in Western Ukraine, attended by the daughter of one of Ivan’s comrades. The companion suggested that Ivan with Maria, who he described as “a very nice teacher”.

At first, Ivan felt squeezed by the arrangement – but in the end he agreed to come.

He was glad he did it. They soon began to see each other.

On one of their first dates, Ivan warned Maria that he had a dangerous job. She said this would not be a problem. Ivan was brave, caring and protected, and Maria fell in love.

Soon he had to go to a long -term deployment away from home. They lost a relationship for a year and it seemed that their relationship might have ended.

But then he returned with a giant bouquet of flowers and promised her that she didn’t want to waste her time. Within a year, the two were married and soon were expecting their first child.

Only after Russia began its full -scale invasion did Maria understand what he meant about the harsh realities of her work.

Their daughter Yaroslav was only three months old at that time. Ivan missed her early major stages: helping her to take her first steps, seeing her first teeth pass and comfort her during her first illness.

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

On a nearby mission, Maria put her daughter in a stroller and rushed to a checkpoint where she could run out to catch them in five minutes.

She brought him food at home. They were talking. And I found that every minute together it was worth the months they spent in anticipation.

Before Yaroslav even spoke, she would use her tiny hands to gesture that her father was flying through the sky.

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

The family already has a professional photo taken by them every six months. “It’s very hard for me to say, but I have to be completely honest. We never know if this (will be) our last call or meeting,” says Maria on the edge of tears.

She feels that she must be ready for “anything, including the worst scenario.”

In the first year of the war, she regularly hears casualties among friends. “You call their wives and you can’t find the words to say. And you are afraid that one day you may find yourself in the same situation.”

Ukrainians are looking for specific guarantees for protection from the US and Europe and increased supply to Western fighters to deter Russian aggression.

The country has received a number of US F-16 fighter jets and French Mirage fighters, but the country’s Air Force still relies largely on military aircraft from the Soviet era-is it a coincidence for more advanced Russian aircraft.

Maria hopes to stop the fire cautiously. This can “freeze” the conflict in the best case, she says, but it is difficult to rely as she does not trust Russia.

Vladimir Putin He wants an end to the Western military assistance of Kyiv and the sharing of intelligence with Ukrainiansas well as stop mobilization in Ukraine.

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

There are also fears that Donald Trump-who publicly stated that the termination of the war was one of his main priorities-he could prepare for a behind-the-scenes deal with Russia, which would force Ukraine to accept painful discounts.

Even after the fire is stopped, Maria will still wait for calls and rare meetings, as the Ukrainian Air Force will have to remain on the alert for a long time.

And although there may be peace in Ukraine, she wonders if her husband will ever be in peace again. Maria says that Ivan, who was heavily affected by the fighting on the front line, has a “patriotic soul” and will continue to serve even after the war.

Maria believes that it is important for him not to feel that the victims are in vain and it remains hope that the parts of Russia, the Prohibition of Herson, the Process, the Donetsk and the Luhanski will be returned one day.

The priority for Maria now is to calm her husband and offer him optimism. She dreams of a future where her young family can finally begin to restore her life in her own home, in her own country.

“My husband must know we always wait for him.”