Ukraine’s front line: Where lives turn on distant decisions

By INNA VARENYTSIA and LORI HINNANT
Associated Press

ZOLOTE 4, Ukraine (AP) — Soldiers and civilians in eastern Ukraine are waiting with helpless anticipation to see if war comes. They understand that the decision will be made by people who know little about the lives of those on the eastern front lines. The battle-weary region has been fighting pro-Russia separatist fighters since 2014. It is near where Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers in a troop buildup that U.S. President Joe Biden says could mount the largest invasion since World War II. Russia denies it is planning an assault on Ukraine, but the United States and its NATO allies are preparing for a possible conflict.