Trump calls Russia-Ukraine war 'madness', says China can help broker peace

US President-elect Donald Trump has urged an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to end the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, calling the war "madness". Trump also suggested that China could play a pivotal role in brokering peace, while urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to seize the moment for action.

Trump made these remarks on Sunday via his social media platform, Truth Social, just hours after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris. This meeting marked the first face-to-face talks between Trump and Zelenskyy since Trump's election victory last month.

"Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness," Trump wrote, claiming that Kyiv had lost nearly 400,000 soldiers, though his figure appears to include both killed and wounded.

"There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!"

Trump was in Paris for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral and spent an hour with Zelenskyy on Saturday in a meeting hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron.

While details of their discussion remain unclear, statements from French and Ukrainian officials described the talks as "good and productive".

Responding to Trump's comments, President Zelenskyy emphasised that peace cannot be achieved through mere agreements but requires reliable guarantees.

"When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first and foremost talk about effective guarantees for peace. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else,"

He rejected the idea of a simple ceasefire, citing past breaches by Russia.

"A ceasefire without guarantees can be reignited at any moment, as Putin has already done before. To ensure that Ukrainians no longer suffer losses, we must guarantee the reliability of peace and not turn a blind eye to occupation."

Zelenskyy also countered Trump's casualty figures, stating that 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 370,000 wounded in the war.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed Trump's remarks in a conference call, reiterating Russia's willingness to negotiate but under specific conditions.

"Our position on Ukraine is well known," Peskov said. He pointed to agreements reached during Istanbul talks in 2022, which were never implemented, as a potential framework for negotiations.

He also emphasised that any talks must reflect "current realities on the battlefield", where Russian forces have made significant advances. Peskov accused Ukraine of refusing to engage in negotiations and highlighted Zelenskyy's decree banning contacts with Russian leadership, calling for its revocation to move talks forward.

President Putin has previously outlined his conditions for a peace deal, which include Ukraine renouncing NATO membership and recognising Russian control over four Ukrainian regions currently under partial occupation.