Unease from Winnipeg's Ukrainian community as U.S., Russia try to negotiate peace without their country

Some Ukrainian-Canadians in Winnipeg say the prospect of peace talks over Russia's invasion of Ukraine doesn't offer them much hope because the discussions exclude the country being invaded.

Nick Krawetz, a third-generation Ukrainian-Canadian, said he stands with those in Ukraine who are skeptical.

"There's a mood in Ukraine. There's a narrative in Ukraine that anything about us without us is unacceptable," Nick Krawetz said.

"Talking about Ukraine, talking about sovereign territory, what Ukraine may have to give up or concede to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, who has launched this invasion," he added. "Nobody is saying what Putin must give up or what he may concede in order for these talks to start."

Top officials from the United States and Russia are meeting Tuesday in an effort to restore their relationship and negotiate an end to Moscow's full-scale invasion of its neighbour, which began nearly three years ago.

Ukraine wasn't invited to participate.

No desire to offer concessions

Krawetz, who has taken some relatives displaced by the war into his Winnipeg home, said he's disappointed the new U.S. defence secretary suggested last week Ukraine may need to abandon hopes of winning back all its territory from Russia. 

Conceding to even some of Russia's wishes "enables and emboldens every single autocrat around the world who's gung-ho about swallowing up its neighbours," said Krawetz, who's cousin, a soldier, is among those killed in the war.

"And we have a neighbour right now who is using the same rhetoric in terms of annexing us," he added, referring to Trump's recent talk around Canada. 

Tuesday's meeting, scheduled to take place in Saudi Arabi, is a reversal in strategy for the United States, which under President Joe Biden isolated Russia for its decision to invade Ukraine.

Now with Donald Trump as U.S. president, the upcoming talks between senior American and Russian officials is seen as a way to improve ties between the countries and to establish a future meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Meanwhile, Ukraine and its allies have been left scrambling amid concerns the U.S.-Russian talks could result in an outcome that isn't favourable to them. A meeting was held in response Monday involving European Union countries and the United Kingdom.

The previous U.S. administration provided Ukraine with equipment and other resources in its fight against Russia, but not as much support as the country requested.

Denys Volkov, another Winnipegger of Ukrainian descent, said the previous U.S. approach to ending the war didn't work, so he's keeping an open mind about different strategies.

Still, he said the easiest solution is for Russia to withdraw its troops.

"Engaging Russia at this point just gives them an opportunity to have a stronger position at the negotiating table, which concerns me," Volkov said.

"The aggressor, the bully, the terrorists should not be given an opportunity at the table when they just killed … thousands of people."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he hasn't been invited to the meeting in Saudi Arabia and he won't accept the outcome because Kyiv didn't take part.