Russia rejects Trump's comments on losses in Ukraine

(Dan Tri) - Russia rejected US President-elect Donald Trump's comment that both Russia and Ukraine suffered huge losses in the nearly three-year conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Photo: TASS).

"As for the cited figures on losses on both sides, obviously, they are given according to Ukraine's interpretation and reflect Ukraine's official position. The actual figures on losses are completely different: Ukraine's losses exceed those of the Russian side by a factor of three," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 8.

The comment came after US President-elect Donald Trump posted on social network Truth Social saying that both Russia and Ukraine had suffered great losses in the three-year conflict.

“There must be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed,” Trump wrote.

He said Kiev had “senselessly lost 400,000 soldiers and many civilians”. He did not specify whether that number included the wounded. He stressed that now, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine want to reach an agreement to end the conflict with Russia.

Mr Zelensky said yesterday that about 43,000 of the country's soldiers had been killed, while 370,000 soldiers had been wounded, half of whom had returned to combat after treatment.

Both Russia and Ukraine have rarely released casualty figures during the nearly three-year conflict. In February, Mr. Zelensky put the number of Ukrainian soldiers killed at 31,000, but Western officials estimated at the time that the actual number was closer to 70,000.

Due to the huge loss of manpower and weapons, President Zelensky's administration in recent months has begun to signal its readiness to find a diplomatic solution to the war with Russia.

He said Ukraine was ready to sign a ceasefire agreement if the territories it currently controls were protected by NATO, while those seized by Russia could be restored later through diplomatic means.

However, Russia still considers NATO's partial or complete admission of Ukraine a "red line". Moscow declared that a peace agreement would only be possible if Kiev accepted the conditions set by President Vladimir Putin in June, including a commitment to neutrality, not joining NATO, demilitarization, de-fascism, and recognition of territories annexed to Russia.

"President Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine and welcomes peace initiatives, first of all from the countries of the Southern Hemisphere, our BRICS partners: China, India, Brazil, South Africa, as well as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. We have made our position clear. The conditions for an immediate ceasefire were outlined by President Putin in June," Peskov said.

Mr. Peskov emphasized that, first of all, Ukrainian President Zelensky must cancel the decree banning negotiations with Russia and return to negotiations based on the preliminary agreements reached by the two sides in Türkiye at the initial stage of the conflict.

The Kremlin has carefully considered US President-elect Donald Trump's remarks about Ukraine's readiness for a peace deal with Russia, he added.

During the election campaign, US President-elect Donald Trump repeatedly declared that he could end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours.

Although Mr. Trump did not specify his plan, many believe that he will warn of cutting aid to Ukraine to force Kiev to negotiate, and warn of providing more weapons to Ukraine if Russia refuses to talk.

Speaking to the media hours after calling for an immediate ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, he said he could cut aid to Ukraine as soon as he takes office next month.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/nga-phan-bac-binh-luan-cua-ong-trump-ve-ton-that-o-ukraine-20241209080609743.htm