Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has praised Donald Trump as one of the only leaders feared by Russian President Vladimir Putin while calling on the international community to come together to end the war in Ukraine.
Speaking after meeting with Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris over the weekend, Zelenskyy said that the talks had been “very productive”, and he was grateful for Trump’s “strong resolve” to bring the conflict to an end.
“We know that America has the capacity to accomplish remarkable things – things that others have not been able to achieve. To succeed in ending this war, we need unity – the unity of America, Europe, and everyone in the world who values security – as well as strong positions and guarantees for peace,” Zelenskyy said on X on Tuesday.
Zelenskyy said that he had told the United States president-elect that Putin “fears only him and, perhaps, China”.
“And that’s the truth – only decisiveness can bring this war to a just end and ensure lasting peace,” the Ukrainian leader said.
“Action is needed now to restore the proper international order.”
There’s a lot of discussion in the media about lowering the draft age for Ukrainians to go to the frontlines. We must focus on equipping existing brigades and training personnel to use this equipment. We must not compensate the lack of equipment and training with the youth of…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 9, 2024
Zelenskyy’s remarks come two days after Trump called for an “immediate ceasefire” and negotiations to end the conflict.
“Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Sunday.
During his election campaign, Trump repeatedly claimed he would be able to bring an end to the conflict within 24 hours, without elaborating on his plans.
While Trump’s strategy for ending the war is unclear, supporters of Ukraine have raised fears that it could involve cutting off military aid to Kyiv and ceding some or all of the Ukrainian territory seized by Russian forces.
“We’re getting ready for the worst-case scenario, when [Trump] stops all the supplies,” Lieutenant General Ihor Romanenko, the former deputy head of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, told Al Jazeera last month.
Trump last month tapped Keith Kellogg, a retired general, as his special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine war.
Kellogg, who served as chief of staff for the White House National Security Council during Trump’s first term, has called for Ukraine’s NATO membership application to be put on hold and for US military aid to Ukraine to be tied to Kyiv’s participation in peace talks with Moscow.
He has also suggested that Moscow could be offered some relief from sanctions in return for a peace agreement and that levies could be imposed on Russian energy sales to fund the reconstruction of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram on Monday that he would be open to the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine to guarantee security as part of a deal to end the war provided there was a “clear understanding of when Ukraine will be in the European Union and when Ukraine will be in NATO”.
In his comments on Tuesday, Zelenskyy also dismissed calls to lower the age of the military draft from 25 following reports that US officials are pushing Kyiv to consider conscripting men as young as 18.
“We must focus on equipping existing brigades and training personnel to use this equipment,” Zelenskyy said.
“We must not compensate the lack of equipment and training with the youth of soldiers. The priority should be providing missiles and lowering Russia’s military potential, not Ukraine’s draft age. The goal should be to preserve as many lives as possible, not to preserve weapons in storages.”