(CLO) US President-elect Donald Trump has called on Ukraine and Russia to immediately cease fire and negotiate to end the "madness", urging both sides to state their conditions.
Mr Trump made his comments just hours after meeting face-to-face for the first time with President Zelenskyy, who attended the re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Mr Trump has vowed to negotiate a negotiated end to the conflict, but has not provided details.
"Zelenskyy and Ukraine want to make a deal and end this madness," Trump wrote on his Truth Social social media platform. "There must be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin."
"I know Vladimir. It's time for him to act. China can help. The world is waiting!", Mr. Trump added, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Zelenskyy met in Paris on December 7, 2024. Photo: Reuters
Mr Trump, in Paris for the rededication of Notre Dame Cathedral, sat down with Mr Zelenskyy on Saturday for about an hour, along with host President Emmanuel Macron.
Trump and Zelensky shook hands and smiled, but it was unclear how the conversation went. Reports of the talks from France and Ukraine only said the discussions were good and productive.
President Zelenskyy responded to Mr Trump's message on Sunday by saying that peace is not just a piece of paper but requires guarantees. "When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first of all talk about effective guarantees for peace. The Ukrainian people want peace more than anyone else," he told X.
"It (the war) cannot simply end with a piece of paper and a few signatures. An unsecured ceasefire can be restarted at any time...".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov convened a conference call with reporters to address Trump’s comments. Peskov said Russia was ready for negotiations, but only based on the agreements reached in Istanbul in 2022 and current realities on the ground.
President Putin has repeatedly said that a preliminary agreement reached between Russian and Ukrainian negotiators in the early weeks of the fighting in Istanbul, but never implemented, could serve as a basis for future talks.
"Our position on Ukraine is well known to everyone," Peskov said. "The conditions for an immediate cessation of hostilities were set out by President Putin in his speech to the Russian Foreign Ministry in June this year. It is important to remember that Ukraine itself refused and continues to refuse negotiations," he said.
President Putin has said that Ukraine should not join the NATO military alliance and that Russia should be given full control over four regions of Ukraine that his troops currently hold in part in order to reach a peace deal.
Mr Peskov noted that President Zelenskyy had banned Ukrainian officials from contacting the Russian leadership through a special decree, which Peskov said would have to be revoked if negotiations were to proceed.
Huy Hoang (according to TASS, Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/ong-trump-keu-goi-nga-ukraine-ngung-ban-ngay-lap-tuc-va-neu-dieu-kien-hoa-binh-post324701.html
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