After Trump’s Peace Push, Russia Throws Ball In Ukraine’s Court For Talks

A day after US President-elect Donald Trump urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine following his meeting with French and Ukrainian leaders in Paris, Russia stated its willingness to negotiate peace. “President Putin has repeatedly said Russia was open to negotiations on Ukraine and welcomed peace initiatives, primarily those coming from countries of the Global South, as well as our BRICS partners, including China, Brazil, and South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, which are engaged in work on the humanitarian track,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

Russia also pointed to President Putin’s earlier conditions for peace. “Our stance on Ukraine is well known. The conditions required to cease the hostilities immediately were laid out by President Putin in June this year in his speech at Russia’s Foreign Ministry,” the ministry reiterated. In that speech, Putin proposed ending the war if Kyiv renounced its NATO aspirations and ceded the four provinces Russia claims.

Accusing Ukraine of stalling peace efforts, the ministry added, “Zelenskyy, by his own decree, has banned himself and his presidential office from making any engagements with the Russian leadership. All Zelenskyy has to do to enter a trajectory of peace is to revoke this decree and issue an order to resume dialogue on the basis of arrangements made in Istanbul and with account taken of the realities taking shape on the ground.”

Trump Calls for Ceasefire

Trump’s call for peace came after his meeting with Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. On Truth Social, Trump lamented the war’s toll, saying, “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed.” He called on President Putin to act decisively to end the war.

In response, Zelenskyy stated, “When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first and foremost talk about effective guarantees for peace. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else.” However, he added that the deal “should be just” and ensure aggressors like Russia cannot return.

Trump’s claim that Kyiv had lost 400,000 soldiers was countered by Zelenskyy, who put the figure at 43,000 since the invasion began in 2022. Despite their differing views, Zelenskyy described their meeting in Paris, alongside Macron, as “good and productive”.

Zelenskyy Cites Syria as a Warning

Highlighting the importance of international support, Zelenskyy drew a parallel with Syria, where he said the fall of Assad’s regime demonstrated Russia’s limited capacity due to its ongoing involvement in Ukraine. “The fall of the Assad regime wasn’t just the result of the strength of opposition forces. It also happened because Russia doesn’t have sufficient troops there. Why? Because the entire combat-ready Russian army is currently on Ukrainian territory,” he argued.

Zelenskyy warned that if Ukraine were to fall, Russia could resume its aggressive actions in Syria, Africa, and other regions. “Unity around Ukraine is the key to success—the shared success of the world. A success that unites. And unity that brings success,” he said.