“People can’t return there”: Trump responded to the question of whether Ukraine should cede art of Its territory to Russia

During a conversation with journalists 36 days before taking office, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump was asked whether Ukraine should cede part of its territory to Russia.

Trump responded that he would provide a definitive answer after his first meetings but added, “There isn’t a single building standing there (in the Russian-controlled territories), and people won’t return there.”

According to the President-elect, it could take 100 years to rebuild Ukraine’s destroyed cities.

Earlier, Trump announced his intention to reach out to both Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin regarding a resolution to the situation in Ukraine, but he did not invite Zelensky to his inauguration in January.

The new president stated that Zelensky should prepare for a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine. Trump also claimed to have received signals from Kyiv indicating a willingness to resolve the conflict with Russia.

He noted that he has already made “some progress” toward a resolution in Ukraine and stated that he is “working hard” to end the conflict.

Trump added that casualties on both sides are higher than officially reported, as he receives weekly updates on the matter.

The President-elect also expressed disapproval of Ukraine being allowed to carry out long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory, calling it a “bad decision” and indicating that he may reconsider it.