President Donald Trump called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine a day after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.in Paris, claimed that Kiev wanted to “make a deal” to end the war with Russia. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives have been needlessly wasted and too many families have been destroyed,” Trump said in an online post Sunday. “I know Vladimir well. It's time for him to act. China will help. The world is waiting!” Trump added. President Trump said both sides suffered heavy losses in the war and claimed during his campaign that if elected president he could end the war “within 24 hours.” “Mr. Zelensky and Ukraine want to reach an agreement and stop the madness,” he added.
President Zelensky said his meeting with Trump, organized by French President Emmanuel Macron, was “constructive.” However, he did not provide further details. President Zelensky warned that Ukraine needed “a just and solid peace that Russia cannot destroy within a few years.” “When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first of all talk about effective peace guarantees. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else. It brought war,” he said in a post on the messaging app Telegram on Sunday. There is a growing sense among President Zelenskiy's inner circle that some sort of negotiation will be needed soon as the military struggles to stop Russia on the front lines. But they fear that without reliable security from the West, the ceasefire will be meaningless.
Like Joe Biden, President-elect Trump has linked the unrest in Syria to Russia's war in Ukraine.pointed out that allies of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Moscow and Iran, the main sponsor of Hamas and Hezbollah, “are currently in a weakened state.” President Trump has suggested that Assad's ouster could advance prospects for an end to the fighting in Ukraine.
In an interview recorded Friday, President Trump said the incoming administration is open to cutting aid to Ukraine. The United States has steadfastly supported Russia since its invasion. “Maybe. Yeah, probably, definitely,” he told NBC's Meet the Press. President Trump once again warned NATO allies that he will not take for granted the United States' continued participation in the alliance during his second term. Asked if he would consider the possibility of withdrawing from NATO, Trump suggested that was an open question. “If I think they're paying the bills and they're treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely I'll stay in NATO,” he said. But if not, he was asked if he would consider withdrawing the United States from the alliance. “That's right. Yes, absolutely,” Trump said, declining to say whether he had spoken to Putin since his November election victory. “I don't want to say anything about that because I don't want to do anything that could impede negotiations,” Trump said. The interview was recorded on Friday and aired on Sunday ahead of a weekend tripartite meeting between Mr Macron and Mr Zelensky in Paris.
