US President-elect Donald Trump has declared that addressing the Ukraine crisis will be his foremost priority upon assuming office next month, emphasizing the urgency of ending the conflict that has claimed countless lives.
Speaking in an interview with French magazine Paris Match, recorded during his visit to Paris on Saturday, Trump stated, “I think we have to solve the Ukraine problem with Russia. Both those countries are losing numbers that nobody can believe. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are being killed.”
He described the situation in the Middle East as comparatively less challenging, adding, “But those are the two situations that we have to solve, and we have to solve them quickly. A lot of people are dying.”
Trump’s comments follow his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron during the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral, marking his first international trip since his re-election.
Zelensky expressed gratitude for Trump’s “strong resolve” to end the war, while Trump reiterated his belief in the need for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin,” reaffirming his earlier claim that he could end the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours.
The President-elect also made clear that Washington will not intervene in Syria, where a recent rebel offensive toppled longtime President Bashar al-Assad. “Syria will have to take care of itself,” he said.
Trump’s commitment to resolving the Ukraine crisis underscores a pivotal moment for international diplomacy, as the world watches his approach to one of the most significant conflicts of this era.
