It was not a very difficult
question to answer,
as there was only one road
through the wood,
and the two finger-posts
both pointed along it.
‘I’ll settle it,’
Alice said to herself,
‘when the road divides and
they point different ways.’
But this did not seem
likely to happen.
She went on and on,
a long way,
but wherever the road divided
there were sure to be
Days before meeting.
‘The One’ in Alaska.
The US President referred to.
What he called.
“Land swaps”.
As a condition for peace.
“Land swaps”.
As a condition for peace.
‘I know what
you’re thinking about,’
said Tweedledum:
‘but it isn’t so, nohow.’
‘Contrariwise,’
continued Tweedledee,
‘if it was so,
it might be;
For ‘elves’, it was.
A confusing turn of phrase.
What land was?
To be swapped?
Was Ukraine to be offered?
Part of ‘Mordor’?
In exchange for the land?
‘Mordor’ had taken by force?
‘Contrariwise,’
continued Tweedledee,
‘if it was so,
it might be;
and if it were so,
it would be;
but as it isn’t, it ain’t.
That’s logic.’
As ‘Gandalf the Green’.
Prepares to travel.
To Washington.
On Monday.
To meet the US President.
There is likely.
No “swap” element.
To the US president’s thinking.
and if it were so,
it would be;
but as it isn’t, it ain’t.
That’s logic.’
‘I was thinking,’
Alice said very politely,
‘which is the best way
out of this wood:
Instead, he is.
Reportedly planning.
To press ‘Gandalf the Green’
To surrender.
The entirety of.
The eastern ‘elves’ regions.
Of Donetsk and Luhansk.
In return for ‘Mordor’.
Freezing the rest of.
The front line.
– a proposal.
– a proposal.
Put forward by ‘the One’.
In Alaska.
Put forward by ‘the One’.
In Alaska.
‘I was thinking,’
Alice said very politely,
‘which is the best way
out of this wood:
it’s getting so dark.
Would you tell me, please?’
But the fat little men only
looked at each other and grinned.
Luhansk is already.
Almost entirely under.
‘Orcs’ control.
But Ukraine is estimated.
But Ukraine is estimated.
To have held onto.
About 30%.
Of Donetsk.
Including several key cities.
And fortifications.
At a cost of tens of.
Thousands of ‘elves’ lives.
‘However, I know
my name now,’ she said,
‘that’s some comfort.
Alice – Alice –
I won’t forget it again.
And now, which of these
finger-posts ought I to follow,
I wonder?’
Both regions.
– known together as Donbas –
Are rich in minerals.
And industry.
To surrender them.
To ‘Mordor’ now would be.
A “tragedy”.
Said the ‘elf’ historian.
“This is ‘elves’ territory.
And the people of these regions.
– particularly the miners –
Played a huge role.”
“In the strengthening.
Of the ‘elves’ identity.”
“In the strengthening.
Of the ‘elves’ identity.”
It was not a very difficult
question to answer,
as there was only one road
through the wood,
and the two finger-posts
both pointed along it.
‘I’ll settle it,’
Alice said to herself,
The region had also.
Produced “famous politicians.
Poets and dissidents.
And now refugees.”
“And now refugees.
Who will not be able.
To return home.
If it becomes ‘Mordor’’s.”
‘when the road divides and
they point different ways.’
But this did not seem
likely to happen.
She went on and on,
a long way,
but wherever the road divided
there were sure to be
At least 1.5 million.
‘Elves’ have fled the Donbas.
Since ‘orcs’ aggression.
Began in 2014.
More than three million.
Are estimated to be.
Living under.
‘Orcs’ occupation.
A further 300,000.
Are estimated to be.
In the parts where.
Ukraine still has control.
two finger-posts
pointing the same way,
one marked
‘TO TWEEDLEDUM’S HOUSE,’
and the other
‘TO HOUSE OF TWEEDLEDEE.’
‘I do believe,’
said Alice at last,
In areas closest.
To the front line.
Life is already.
A dangerous struggle.
A 55-year-old.
Military chaplain.
In the badly hit city.
Of Sloviansk.
Said in a phone interview.
That shells had landed.
Next to his house.
Over the weekend.
“It is a very difficult.
Situation here.
There is a feeling of.
Resignation and abandonment.”
“I don’t know how much.
We have the strength to endure.
Someone has to protect us.
But who?”
‘that they live
in the same house!
I wonder I never
thought of that before
– But I can’t stay there long.
I’ll just call
and say “How d’you do?”
and ask them the way
He had been following.
The news from Alaska.
“I put this on the US President.
Not ‘Gandalf the Green’.”
“But they are taking.
Everything from me.
And it is a betrayal.”
And it is a betrayal.”
out of the wood.
If I could only
get to the Eighth Square
before it gets dark!’
So she wandered on,
talking to herself
as she went, till,
on turning a sharp corner,
‘Gandalf the Green’ has consistently.
Said Ukraine would not.
Hand over the Donbas.
In exchange for peace.
And confidence.
And confidence.
In ‘Mordor’ to abide.
By any such arrangement.
– rather than simply use.
The annexed land.
For future attacks –
Is low.
she came upon
two fat little men,
so suddenly that
she could not help starting back,
but in another moment
she recovered herself,
feeling sure
that they must be.
For that and other reasons.
About 75% of ‘elves’.
Object to formally ceding.
Any land to ‘Mordor’.
But Ukraine is also.
Deeply fatigued by war.
Hundreds of thousands.
Of soldiers and civilians.
Have been killed.
And wounded since.
The full-scale invasion began.
People are craving.
An end to suffering.
Particularly in the Donbas.
An end to suffering.
Particularly in the Donbas.
They were standing
under a tree,
each with an arm
round the other’s neck,
and Alice knew
which was which
which was which
in a moment,
“You ask about the surrender.
Of the Donetsk region.
Well, I measure this war.
Not in kilometres.”
“Well, I measure this war.
Not in kilometres.
But in human lives.”
But in human lives.”
Said a 56- year-old.
Emergency rescue worker.
In the Donetsk city.
Of Kramatorsk.
“I’m not ready to give.
Tens of thousands of lives.
For several thousand.
Square kilometres.”
“Life is more important.
Than territory.”
“Life is more important.
Than territory.”
because one of them
had ‘DUM’ embroidered
on his collar,
and the other ‘DEE’.
‘I suppose they’ve each got
“TWEEDLE” round
at the back of the collar,’
she said to herself.
For some, this is.
What it comes down.
To in the end.
Land versus life.
It leaves ‘Gandalf the Green’.
“At a crossroads.
With no good route.
In front of him”.
Said an ‘elf’ MP.
“We don’t have enough forces.
To continue the war.
For an unlimited time.”
“But if ‘Gandalf the Green’.
Were to concede this land.
It would be not only a breakdown.
Of our constitution.”
“It could have the hallmarks.
Of treason.”
“It could have the hallmarks.
Of treason.”
They stood so still
that she quite forgot
they were alive,
they were alive,
and she was just looking round
to see if the word
‘TWEEDLE’ was written
at the back of each collar,
And yet, it is not clear.
In Ukraine by what mechanism.
Such an agreement.
Could even be reached.
Any formal handover.
Of the nation’s territory.
Requires the approval.
Of the parliament.
Requires the approval.
Of the parliament.
And a referendum.
Of the people.
when she was startled
by a voice
coming from the one
marked ‘DUM.’
‘If you think we’re
wax-works,’ he said,
‘you ought to pay, you know.
‘you ought to pay, you know.
More likely would be.
A de-facto surrender of control.
With no formal recognition.
Of the territory as ‘Mordor’’s.
But even in that event.
The process is not.
Well understood.
Said another ‘elf’ MP.
“There is no real.
Understanding as to.
What the procedure should be.”
What the procedure should be.”
“Does the president?
Simply sign the agreement?
Does it have to be the government?
The parliament?”
“There is no legal procedure.
Set up because, you know.
The constitution writers.
Didn’t think about this.”
Wax-works weren’t
made to be looked at
for nothing. Nohow!’
for nothing. Nohow!’
‘Contrariwise,’ added
the one marked ‘DEE’,
‘if you think we’re alive,
you ought to speak.’
Things may become.
More clear after ‘Gandalf the Green’.
Speaks with the US President.
In Washington on Monday.
– ‘Gandalf the Green’’s first visit.
To the White House.
Since a disastrous clash.
In the Oval Office in February.
Amid the unhappiness.
Left by the Alaska summit.
There was one possible glimmer.
Of good news for Ukraine.
‘I’m sure I’m very sorry,’
was all Alice could say;
for the words of the old song
kept ringing through her head
like the ticking
of a clock,
and she could hardly help
saying them out loud: –
The US President appeared.
To reverse his position.
On security guarantees.
After the summit.
Suggesting he was.
Ready to join Europe.
In offering Ukraine.
In offering Ukraine.
Military protection.
From future ‘orcs’ attacks.
Military protection.
From future ‘orcs’ attacks.
‘I know what
you’re thinking about,’
said Tweedledum:
‘but it isn’t so, nohow.’
‘Contrariwise,’
continued Tweedledee,
‘if it was so,
it might be;
For ‘elves’, polling shows.
Security guarantees are.
An absolutely vital part.
Of any potential agreement.
An absolutely vital part.
Of any potential agreement.
On territory or.
Anything else.
and if it were so,
it would be;
but as it isn’t, it ain’t.
That’s logic.’
‘I was thinking,’
Alice said very politely,
‘which is the best way
out of this wood:
“People in Ukraine.
Will accept various forms.
Of security guarantees.”
Of security guarantees.”
Said the director of Kyiv’s.
International Institute for Sociology.
“But they require them.”
“But they require them.”
it’s getting so dark.
Would you tell me, please?’
But the fat little men only
looked at each other and grinned.
They looked so exactly
Like a couple of
great schoolboys,
that Alice couldn’t help
For the emergency worker.
In Kramatorsk.
Exchange of territory.
Could only be considered.
With “real guarantees.
Not just written promises”.
With “real guarantees.
Not just written promises”.
“Only then.
More or less.
I am in favour of giving.
Donbas to ‘Mordor’.”
“If the British Royal Navy.
Is stationed.
In the port of Odesa.
Then I agree.”
that Alice couldn’t help
pointing her finger
at Tweedledum,
and saying ‘First Boy!’
‘Nohow!’ Tweedledum
cried out briskly,
and shut his mouth up again
with a snap.
As various paths to peace.
Are floated and discussed.
Sometimes in.
The deal-making style.
Preferred by the US President.
There is a risk of.
Losing sight of.
The real people involved.
– people who have.
Already lived through.
A decade of war.
A decade of war.
And who may.
Stand to lose.
Even more now.
In exchange for peace.
‘Next Boy!’ said Alice,
passing on to Tweedledee,
though she felt
quite certain
he would only
shout out ‘Contrariwise!’
and so he did.
and so he did.
Donbas was a place.
Full of ‘elves’ from.
All different walks of life.
Said another ‘elf’ historian.
“We are not just talking.
About culture.
About politics.
About demographics.”
“We are talking.
About people.”
“We are talking.
About people.”
‘You’ve begun wrong!’
cried Tweedledum.
‘The first thing in a visit
is to say “How d’ye do?”
and shake hands!
And here the two brothers
gave each other a hug,
and then they held out
Donetsk might not have.
The cultural reputation.
Of somewhere.
Like Odesa, he said.
But it was Ukraine.
But it was Ukraine.
“And any corner of Ukraine.”
“And any corner of Ukraine.”
“Regardless of whether.
It has some great cultural.
Significance or not.
Is Ukraine.”
the two hands
that were free,
to shake hands
with her.
Alice did not like
shaking hands with
either of them first,
for fear of hurting
the other one’s feelings;
so, as the best way
out of the difficulty,
she took hold of
both hands at once:
the next moment
they were dancing
round in a ring.
*Because I read “Resignation and betrayal: What handing Donbas to Putin would mean for Ukraine” by Joel Gunter on 18 Aug 2025, and also “Why are Ukrainians calling Russians ‘orcs’?” by James FitzGerald on 30 Apr 2022, on the BBC news.
So, I wrote this poem, including a story of Hrytsak, a story of Borylo, a story of Tkachov, a story of Ariev, a story of Sovsun, a story of Grushchetsky, and a story of Dribnytsia, led by ‘THROUGH the LOOKING-GLASS’ written by Lewis Carroll, you know.
Please read the original story on the BBC news:
