Sergei

The first soldier I want to tell you about is Sergei. He's a former vegan chef from Kiev. He quit his job to join the army a year ago. He's really proud of the fact that his unit recycles. When I asked how he'd describe what his unit looks like when they're in action, he said, like hobbits in a bunker. Hobbits with mortars.

The first soldier I want to tell you about is Sergei. He's a former vegan chef from Kiev. He quit his job to join the army a year ago. He's really proud of the fact that his unit recycles. When I asked how he'd describe what his unit looks like when they're in action, he said, like hobbits in a bunker. Hobbits with mortars.

Sergei told me that it's a strange feeling to live in this moment of time before things might change. Everyone around him believes in anything and everything all at the same time. There's nothing that's not in the realm of possibility.

Sergei told me that it's a strange feeling to live in this moment of time before things might change. Everyone around him believes in anything and everything all at the same time. There's nothing that's not in the realm of possibility.

Like right now, you're living in the part of time that's stopped.

Like right now, you're living in the part of time that's stopped.

Whoa. Yeah. What does that mean?

Whoa. Yeah. What does that mean?

Do you have to go hide somewhere or what do you do?

Do you have to go hide somewhere or what do you do?

That's how long this war has been going on. Long enough that there's an air attack and you go brew yourself a cup of tea. When Donald Trump won the election, Sergei was sitting in a dugout on the front line. That's basically just a big square hole in the ground, 100 square feet, like in World War I. Five guys all huddled together.

That's how long this war has been going on. Long enough that there's an air attack and you go brew yourself a cup of tea. When Donald Trump won the election, Sergei was sitting in a dugout on the front line. That's basically just a big square hole in the ground, 100 square feet, like in World War I. Five guys all huddled together.

That night, they just finished firing at the Russians, sat down to rest, when one of the guys in his unit went on X, saw the news that Trump was winning, and read it aloud.

That night, they just finished firing at the Russians, sat down to rest, when one of the guys in his unit went on X, saw the news that Trump was winning, and read it aloud.

Could Trump just stop the war unilaterally? Stop sending aid they'd already promised? And what's the deal with the House and the Senate? Did he need their permission? Serhii and the other soldiers dug and dug for answers. And here's where he came down. He concluded that Trump wouldn't have the power to reverse the aid Biden had already promised all at once. Which isn't exactly true.

Could Trump just stop the war unilaterally? Stop sending aid they'd already promised? And what's the deal with the House and the Senate? Did he need their permission? Serhii and the other soldiers dug and dug for answers. And here's where he came down. He concluded that Trump wouldn't have the power to reverse the aid Biden had already promised all at once. Which isn't exactly true.

But that's what he told his unit. Did you feel like it was your job to sort of calm everyone down?

But that's what he told his unit. Did you feel like it was your job to sort of calm everyone down?

These kinds of conversations have been happening on the Ukrainian front line for months now. Not all the time, but here and there. I talked to 10 people in a variety of positions on the front. They all laughed when I asked about Trump saying he could finish the war in 24 hours. Of course, they remembered the first time he said it. They remembered where they were, what they were doing.

These kinds of conversations have been happening on the Ukrainian front line for months now. Not all the time, but here and there. I talked to 10 people in a variety of positions on the front. They all laughed when I asked about Trump saying he could finish the war in 24 hours. Of course, they remembered the first time he said it. They remembered where they were, what they were doing.