Zelensky says Kyiv wants ‘enduring’ peace to protect it from Russia

Kyiv (RSS/AFP): Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday he told US President-elect Donald Trump Kyiv needed an “enduring” peace that Russia will not “destroy” in the future after they met in Paris for talks on the almost three-year war.

Trump had earlier said Zelensky was keen for a “deal” and called for a start of negotiations. The pair met a day earlier with French leader Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee. Trump has boasted he could end the conflict swiftly without saying how and both Moscow and Kyiv are readying for his arrival in the White House, with the dragging conflict seeing an escalation in deadly attacks in recent weeks.

‘I stated that we need a just and enduring peace — one that the Russians will not be able to destroy in a few years, as they have done repeatedly in the past,’ Zelensky said on social media.

Almost three years of war have ravaged Ukraine, leaving thousands dead and millions fleeing the country. ‘Ukrainians want peace more than anyone else. Russia brought war to our land, and it is Russia that most seeks to disrupt the possibility of peace,’ he said.

He called on Western allies not to “turn a blind eye to occupation” and said Kyiv would only agree to a deal that would bring long-term peace.

‘War cannot be endless — only peace must be permanent and reliable,’ he said.

In a rare admission of numbers, Zelensky said 43,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed in combat, while some 370,000 were wounded. Both sides are believed to have suffered massive casualties and that figure is believed to be far higher.