Early Sunday, President-elect Donald Trump called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government and a meeting in Paris with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“Assad is gone. He has fled his country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, asserting that Russia, under President Vladimir Putin, abandoned its support for Assad amid escalating losses in Ukraine. “They lost all interest in Syria because of Ukraine, where close to 600,000 Russian soldiers lay wounded or dead, in a war that should never have started, and could go on forever,” Trump added.
Trump suggested Zelensky is open to a peace agreement, emphasizing the toll on Ukraine, where hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians have died since the 2022 Russian invasion. “There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin,” Trump urged, calling for global efforts, including potential mediation by China.
The remarks followed Trump’s meeting with Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris during a visit to celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame cathedral. Meanwhile, the Biden administration has reiterated its support for Ukraine, with billions in military aid and international coordination to counter Russia's invasion. A White House spokesperson noted President Biden is closely monitoring events in Syria, where Assad fled Sunday after rebel forces advanced on Damascus.
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