Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has firmly rejected U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s request for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing conflict. Zelensky emphasized that peace agreements without solid security guarantees are not acceptable.
The Ukrainian leader stated that the war cannot be resolved by simply signing a document. “Ending the conflict cannot be achieved with just a piece of paper and a few signatures,” he said, underlining the importance of a robust and reliable peace process.
This comes after a meeting between Trump, Zelensky, and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where Trump took to his Truth Social platform, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the commencement of negotiations to bring an end to the war. Trump claimed that Ukraine would be open to a deal to “stop the madness.”
However, Zelensky disagreed, stating in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on December 8, that a ceasefire without proper guarantees could easily collapse and lead to further suffering. “A ceasefire without assurances could be broken at any moment… To ensure that Ukrainians no longer endure losses, we must secure a lasting peace and not ignore the reality of occupation,” he stated.
He also reiterated that millions of Ukrainians remain in the occupied territories and ruled out any territorial compromises with Russia. “This is the peace through strength we are discussing with all our allies, focusing on the necessary guarantees for our people and state,” Zelensky added.
Trump has repeatedly asserted that he could end the conflict in a day if elected, criticizing the current U.S. administration’s support for Ukraine. He has suggested using U.S. aid to Ukraine as leverage to freeze the conflict at its current frontlines.
Moscow, however, has rejected such a freeze, insisting that any peace agreement would require Ukraine to withdraw from Russian territories, respect the rights of Russian-speaking populations, and remain neutral.
