Donetsk, the heartland of pro-Russian separatism, is wary of a ceasefire in Ukraine
Residents of this city annexed by Moscow are calling for an end to the conflict but admit the difficulties of reaching an agreement
Donetsk is a gray city that still seems stuck in the post-Soviet depression of the 1990s; a town of rusty factories and crumbling homes, plagued by a severe shortage of running water. However, life is slowly returning to the city, which Ukraine has not controlled since 2014 and which Russia annexed in 2022, at the cost of the war spreading to other cities in the region. There are more children on its streets than a few months ago, and there are new restaurants in its historic center. The residents of Donetsk never want to hear another gunshot, but for now it’s just a dream: no one believes in the success of the negotiations for a new ceasefire.
