U.S. President-elect Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to take action toward negotiating a truce, saying on Dec. 8: "I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!"
Trump's comments on his Truth Social platform followed his meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Paris as world leaders gathered in the city for the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral.
Despite Trump's call, the Kremlin has said that Russia is not prepared to pause the war in Ukraine, arguing that such a move would allow Kyiv to rearm and regroup. However, Russia has expressed readiness to negotiate on its own terms to end the conflict, insisting that Ukraine must withdraw its forces from four regions annexed by Russia in 2022, even though Moscow does not fully control them.
Meanwhile, the outgoing U.S. administration has continued to supply Ukraine with weapons, aiming to bolster Kyiv ahead of any potential ceasefire talks.
On Dec. 7, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced a new military aid package worth nearly $1 billion for Ukraine. The package won’t arrive in Ukraine immediately, instead, it will involve contracts with U.S. defense companies to manufacture new drones and air defense munitions.
Since February 2022, the U.S. has spearheaded a coalition of nations to supply Ukraine with weapons and equipment, and Austin emphasized that abandoning Kyiv would be a grave mistake.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
(Updated: )
