Photo: OP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday expressed his “deep gratitude” to Donald Trump for his “firm determination” to end the war with Russia. The statement came after a meeting with the US president-elect in Paris on Saturday, AFP reports.
Paris talks: key focus is ending the war
The meeting took place at the Elysee Palace and was facilitated by French President Emmanuel Macron, who organised the talks amid concerns in Ukraine about the future level of military support from the new US administration.
“The most important thing now is to work together to end this war. This is an absolute priority for all of us. This is what we focused on during the meeting in Paris,” Zelenskyy wrote on Platform X.
The President also expressed his gratitude to Macron for organising the talks and stressed his respect for Trump’s intentions:
“I want to express once again my deep gratitude to President Trump for his firm determination to end this war in a just way.”
Trump’s reaction: ceasefire and call for a deal
Donald Trump, who has repeatedly stated his intention to end the conflict in Ukraine in “24 hours”, called for an immediate ceasefire on Sunday. On his Truth Social platform, he noted that Zelenskyy was ready to compromise to achieve peace:
“President Zelenskyy is ready to make a deal and put an end to this nonsense.”
Ukraine rejects lowering conscription age
During his speech on Tuesday, Zelenskyy also rejected the idea of lowering the conscription age, which some US officials have reportedly supported. They call on Ukraine to increase the number of recruits by recruiting young people from the age of 18.
“We must focus on equipping existing brigades and training personnel to work with the available equipment. We should not compensate for the lack of equipment and training with young soldiers,” Zelenskyy stressed.
