Many Ukrainians baulk at conceding land to Russia, entangling nascent peace process

Liudmyla Lytvyn, 65, and Oleksandr Lytvyn, 65, displaced residents from Mariupol, speak to journalists at a shelter for refugees from Mariupol, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukraine, April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Violeta Santos Moura

KYIV/DNIPRO, Ukraine (Reuters) -Mariupol natives Oleksandr and Liudmyla Lytvyn fled home three years ago during Russia's 86-day siege of the port city in southern Ukraine. Now they are following peace talks between the warring countries anxiously, fearing they may never return.

Mariupol, home to more than 400,000 people before the full-scale invasion, was seized by Russian forces in May 2022 when the city's last defenders were ordered to surrender, ending one of the bloodiest chapters of the war.