ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The so-called Easter truce between Russia and Ukraine is not living up to the spirit of peace as both accuse the other of violating the cease-fire.

Ukrainian President Zelensky says Russia had launched 67 assaults during the supposed cease-fire. Russian President Putin says Ukraine had broken it more than 1,000 times, damaging infrastructure and killing civilians.

“As a Ukrainian, what’s your reaction to [the failed cease-fire]?” asked Tom Kowalski, News10NBC.

“Not surprised,” said Elena Dilai, Board Secretary of ROC Maidan. “If you have noticed every single time there is an important conversation about peace, Putin bombs Ukraine so severely, like just in the past several weeks, Sumy was bombed so, so badly. And it’s always coinciding with a holiday or a big day for Ukrainians, something religious. So it’s very, very devastating. But it’s not surprising.”

Kowalski took a look through News10NBC’s archives to see how the Ukrainian community’s reactions to the war have changed over the years. Here’s what he found:

“The war is just getting worse and worse. The more that’s revealed to us, the more stuff that we have to have,” said Myron Kowal, ROC Maidan warehouse manager, in April 2022, just two months after the war in Ukraine started.

One year into the war Dilai said in 2023, “People are exhausted. Those who are still alive try to maintain a semi-normal life as much as they can if they live not in the midst of the war.”

“Did you ever think we’d still be having these conversations over three years later?” Kowalski asked when he spoke with Dilai Sunday afternoon.

Elena Dilai, ROC Maidan: “I honestly didn’t think anything three years ago. I was hoping it would not be such a prolonged war. Every day we look at the war and we say, ‘oh my goodness. Hopefully it will end soon. Hopefully it will end soon,’ but who knows. You know, at this point I honestly, I’m not thinking anything. I’m just praying every day that will stop the sooner the better.”

Dilai says while she was upset that a cease-fire didn’t come to her homeland, she isn’t surprised. Now, she just hopes to see a peaceful resolution come soon.

“Eventually this war has to end. The question is when. And it’s quite obvious that President Trump, though he would like to stop the war very quickly is unable to do that. Primarily, in my opinion, because Russia is not willing to do that,” said Dilai.

On Truth Social, the social media company he owns, President Trump wrote, “Hopefully Russia and Ukraine will make a deal this week. Both will then start to do big business with the United States of America, which is thriving and make a fortune.”

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