Ukranian in Lincoln watches Trump-Putin summit with hope and skepticism

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — It was a historic moment Friday as President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska to talk about a ceasefire in Ukraine.

No deal was reached, but Trump said they made “great progress.”

Ukrainian refugees and immigrants in Lincoln said they’ve been through enough to know not to get their hopes up.

But for some, Friday’s meeting was a moment they couldn’t turn away from.

“I can speak for all of us when I say we are tired” of the war, Sergii Chekushkin said.

There was pure silence as Chekushkins’ eyes were fixed on the TV, and Channel 8 was with him as he watched it live.

“See, President Putin is smiling, he’s in a good mood, he’s laughing,” he said. “How should we interpret that?”

Chekushkin moved to Lincoln in 2014, after Putin invaded Crimea.

Many more Ukrainians have come to Lincoln since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, some losing homes, jobs and family members.

Chekushkin said watching this moment was personal.

“There are families that have been divided because husbands have been sent to war, wife and kids have to flee to other countries just to find peace,” he said.

Chekushkin said he appreciates what Trump is doing, but he’s not too sure if it will work because he doesn’t trust Putin.

“We can talk to anyone, but not to him,” he said. “It’s not going to be peace; there will be no peace.”

Despite the doubt, Chekushkin said the summit held thousands of miles away still carries weight back at home.

He said for Ukrainian refugees, every word matters because it isn’t just about politics; it’s their lives.

“Will Ukraine keep fighting until we get our territory back knowing the war is not going to over tomorrow?” he said. “Knowing our people, our fathers, our brothers, our sons died for nothing?”