Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Moscow, February 27 (Xinhua) — February marked exactly four years since the escalation of the crisis in Ukraine. The negotiation process between Russia and Ukraine is proving difficult, and the road to peace is long and arduous. Xinhua correspondents interviewed local residents in both countries and found that Ukrainians and Russians are tired of war and long for peace.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine. Western countries imposed sweeping sanctions against Russia, and many Western companies withdrew from the Russian market. The Russian economy faced severe shocks, and commodity prices rose across the country.
Sergey, 69, works as a security guard for a housing and maintenance company. When asked why he continues to work after retirement, he explained, "Prices have been rising too quickly in recent years, my pension is small, and I have to save. That's why I took a job to help support my family."
Due to Ukrainian drone attacks, airports in many Russian cities are frequently experiencing flight delays and even cancellations, sometimes leading to widespread internet outages, making mobile payments and parking fees difficult. Damage to oil refineries and other energy infrastructure has led to electricity and fuel shortages in some cities. Festive events in many cities have been scaled back, with some traditional public celebrations and fireworks displays cancelled.
St. Petersburg resident Alena was taking her six-year-old son to kindergarten. "I hope the conflict ends as soon as possible, so that the fighting stops and both sides reach an agreement," she told Xinhua.
Olesya, an employee of a Russian real estate company, noted: "I want the conflict to end quickly and for peace to reign. It would be better if there were no hostility between the countries."
Almost every night, shrill air raid sirens sound in Kyiv. Many Ukrainian cities have recently experienced frequent outages of electricity, heat, water, and internet.
Olga, an administrator at a construction company in Kyiv, told Xinhua that although Ukrainians have gradually learned to cope with everyday difficulties, this winter has been the hardest in four years. "Electricity is only on for two hours a day. During this time, you have to cook, boil water, and charge all your devices. Everything has to be planned for this short window because no one knows when the next power will come on," she said.
Andriy is a private entrepreneur and volunteer. He believes the most noticeable change over the past four years is the absence of the convoys of cars and streams of people that used to be seen entering the Dnipropetrovsk region and heading east. Previously, they were traveling to support the front. "People have simply run out of money, they're tired, everyone needs to think about how to survive," he said.
Vitaliy, a resident of Ukraine's Chernihiv region, told Xinhua: "People are exhausted by the war, they don't want it to continue, and they long for peace as soon as possible. We just want to live a normal life."
In December 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia agreed to negotiations and was ready to end the conflict.
On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Second World War, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv and Moscow were approaching the "beginning of the end" of the conflict. "Ukraine needs a ceasefire. /…/ We don't need a pause. We need an end to the war," he said.
Russia and Ukraine need peace.
Since the beginning of the year, Russia, the United States, and Ukraine have held several rounds of talks in Abu Dhabi and Geneva, which has given some hope for an end to the conflict.
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