Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly rejected his incoming US counterpart Donald Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire and said Kiev will not accept any peace deal without security guarantees. The US president-elect had earlier called for an “immediate ceasefire” between Russian and Ukrainian forces and called for negotiations to begin.
However, in a post on Telegram, Mr Zelensky said the conflict with Moscow could not be ended with “just a piece of paper and a few signatures”. “War must not be endless,” he wrote, “peace must be permanent and reliable.”
Mr Zelensky met the incoming US president in Paris on Saturday and French leader Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee. The meeting took place amid concerns that Mr Trump could “potentially” reduce aid to Ukraine.
What did Trump say?
In an interview broadcast Sunday but recorded before Saturday’s meeting, Mr. Trump said his incoming administration would reduce aid to Ukraine, which Washington has consistently supported since its invasion by Russia nearly three years ago.
Mr Trump, in an interview broadcast on Sunday but recorded before Saturday’s meeting, said his incoming administration would reduce aid to Ukraine, which Washington has consistently supported since its invasion by Russia nearly three years ago.
“Possibly. Yes, probably, definitely,” Mr. Trump said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He also claimed that he could end the conflict rapidly without notice.
Mr Trump, earlier, called for an “immediate ceasefire” and called for negotiations to begin. “Too many lives are being wasted unnecessarily, too many families have been destroyed, and if this continues, it could get much bigger and much worse,” he wrote on his Truth social platform.
He also said that he has good relations with Putin. Meanwhile, Moscow and Kiev are preparing for his arrival at the White House, as deadly attacks in the long-running conflict have increased in recent weeks.
What did Zelensky say?
After the meeting, the Ukrainian leader said Sunday that a “permanent” peace was needed to protect Kiev from Russia. Mr. Zelensky, who previously opposed any regional concessions, has eased his position in recent months. His forces are struggling on the front lines and fears are growing that Western aid will dwindle. He has even floated the idea of temporarily giving up Russian-controlled areas – about a fifth of Ukraine – in exchange for NATO security guarantees and arms supplies from the West.
“I said we need a just and lasting peace – which the Russians will not be able to destroy in a few years, as they have repeatedly done in the past,” Mr Zelensky said in a social media post.
Nearly three years of war have devastated Ukraine, killing thousands and forcing millions to flee the country. “Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else,” Mr. Zelensky said. “Russia brought war to our land, and it is Russia that tries most to disrupt the possibility of peace”.
He called on Western allies not to “turn a blind eye to the occupation” and said Kiev would only agree to a deal that would bring long-term peace.
He said, “War cannot be endless – only peace must be lasting and reliable.”
In a rare acknowledgment of the numbers, Mr Zelensky said 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed in the war, while about 370,000 were wounded.
“That’s what this war is about,” Mr. Zelensky wrote. “It cannot be ended with a mere piece of paper and a few signatures…War must not be endless,” he wrote, “Peace must be permanent and reliable.”
Russia’s stance
Meanwhile, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of “refusing” to negotiate to end the war. It said its conditions for joining peace talks – which include Kiev giving up four regions – would remain unchanged.
“The Ukrainian side refused and is refusing to negotiate,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He cited a 2022 Ukrainian order that rejected negotiations with Putin, but not with other Russian officials.
