President-elect Donald Trump called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine Sunday following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris, suggesting Kyiv “would like to make a deal” to end the 1,000-day conflict.
“There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed,” Trump posted on Truth Social, urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to help end the fighting. The statement followed what Zelenskyy described as a “constructive” meeting with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Zelenskyy, while open to peace, emphasized that any agreement “should be just” for Ukrainians, “so that Russia and Putin or any other aggressors will not have the opportunity to return.” The Ukrainian leader revealed Sunday that his nation has suffered 43,000 military deaths and 370,000 wounded since Russia’s February 2022 invasion.
Western officials report that recent months of positional warfare in eastern Ukraine have produced record casualties on both sides, with tens of thousands killed and wounded monthly, though both nations have generally avoided publishing official figures.
The Paris discussions marked a significant diplomatic moment as Trump prepares to return to the White House, where his approach to the Ukraine conflict could dramatically shift U.S. policy in the region.
