Former President Donald Trump recently asserted that tens of thousands of lives have been lost in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, while also expressing his strong desire for a swift resolution to the hostilities.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mr. Trump stated that an estimated 25,000 individuals perished in the Ukraine-Russia conflict last month. He further elaborated that the preceding month saw 32,000 fatalities, primarily soldiers, constituting approximately 97% of the total.
"Last month, 25,000 people died in the Ukraine-Russia war, OK? Twenty-five thousand," Trump remarked. "The month before that, 32,000 people died … mostly soldiers, 97% soldiers. But whether they're soldiers or civilians, think of it: 32,000. Two months ago, 33,000 people; this month, 25,000 people died. What a shame."
These figures add to previous assessments of the war's human cost. According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Russia alone is estimated to have suffered approximately 450,000 military casualties since its invasion of Ukraine commenced in 2022.
Push for Peace and Diplomatic Efforts
The former president also expressed his desire for the conflict to conclude swiftly, indicating a recent conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump conveyed his hope for a resolution, stating,
"I spoke to him a lot, and he's going along and Putin's going along. And, someday, hopefully in the not too distant future, maybe before the heavy winter, they'll make a deal."
He asserted that he encouraged President Zelenskyy to work towards an agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"I agreed with Zelenskyy that we talked about a lot of different subjects, and many of those subjects, very strong agreement," Trump explained. "But you know what I want him to do? Make a deal. I want him to settle with Putin, and I want Putin to settle with him."
Patriot Missile Interceptor Agreement
Separately, President Zelenskyy announced on Friday that Mr. Trump had consented to allow Ukraine to obtain licenses for the production of U.S. Patriot missile interceptors. Zelenskyy shared details of the agreement, stating,
"There are concrete agreements regarding Patriot licenses. At our meeting, President Trump stressed that he had made his final decision: Ukraine will receive licenses to produce Patriot missiles."
This development follows previous reports that President Trump had shown reluctance in granting Ukraine these specific licenses.