'It's a tough one,' Trump says following questions on how he plans to stop Russia's war against Ukraine
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At his first news conference since winning the presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump expressed his intent to make “a little progress” in ending the war in Ukraine.
Speaking from Mar-a-Lago on Dec. 16, Trump described the conflict as “horrible” and emphasized the urgent need to stop it.
“We’re trying to get the war stopped, that horrible, horrible war that’s going on in Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine,” Trump said.
He added, “We’re going to get a little progress. It’s a tough one, it’s a nasty one, it’s nasty.”
The President-elect criticized the high human cost of the conflict, claiming the death toll “on both sides” is likely far higher than reported.
Trump attributed the heavy casualties to Ukraine’s flat terrain, adding that “the only thing that stops a bullet is a body, a human body.”
Trump confirmed he had not invited President Volodymyr Zelensky to his January inauguration but noted that Zelensky would be “welcome” if he chose to attend.
The president-elect previously met with Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Dec. 7 to discuss the war.
According to Reuters, the meeting did not yield a specific peace plan, though Trump called for an immediate ceasefire, while Zelensky underscored the need for security guarantees.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration is racing to deliver additional aid to Ukraine, announcing a $988 million military aid package on Dec. 7.
However, Trump has signaled plans to reduce such assistance once in office to push Ukraine into negotiations that could include territorial concessions.
Although critical of Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S. ATACMS missiles against Russian territory, Trump reiterated that he does not plan to “abandon” Ukraine.
Instead, he aims to use U.S. support as leverage to pressure Kyiv and Moscow to reach a peace agreement.
