The newly elected US President Donald Trump indicated that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready for “peace” whilst spilling the tea about his interactions with international leaders and Jill Biden during his Notre Dame visit in Paris.
On Sunday, Trump shared insights from his initial overseas journey since securing a second term, which included discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron and Zelenskyy in a three-way meeting.
“He wants to make peace,” Trump told The New York Post via telephone. “That’s new.”
“He wants to have a ceasefire,” he continued. “He wants to make peace. We didn’t talk about the details. He thinks it’s time, and Putin should think its time because he’s lost — when you lose 700,000 people, it’s time. It’s not going to end until there’s a peace.”
Trump discussed potential resolutions to the ongoing conflict that began in 2022 with Zelenskyy. “I’m formulating a concept of how to end that ridiculous war,” he stated.
He explained that Russia’s inability to intervene in Syria was due to their involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, which he believes should not have occurred.
In his conversation with Macron about NATO, Trump emphasised the importance of fair financial contributions from member states.
“I said NATO is good as long as they pay their bills, but they gotta pay their bills, because you know, when I got involved with NATO nobody paid, and then they paid after I got involved,” the president elect explained.
“He agrees with me,” Trump said about Macron. “He’s a good man, he did a good job. I told him, ‘you have no idea how good a job you did’ on that chapel. That’s very hard to do. Painstaking.”
Despite previous political disagreements, Trump described his interaction with first lady Jill Biden inside the cathedral as cordial.
“Very nice. She couldn’t have been nicer,” Trump remarked about their exchange. “It’s politics. You have to get used to it,” he said regarding their past conflicts. “She was very nice and we had a very nice conversation.”
He also spoke about his “great” meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, describing her as someone with abundant energy.
He mentioned spending considerable time with Meloni, particularly during dinner at the 60-member world leader reception. “She’s a real live wire, I will tell you. She’s great.”
Regarding the gathering of world leaders at the cathedral, he expressed positive interactions, noting it was a “similar group” from four years prior, whilst expressing hope for global improvements.
Trump praised the cathedral’s restoration, noting its improved appearance compared to its condition before the fire five years ago. He appreciated the preservation of its authenticity while achieving a cleaner, brighter appearance than its previous state of 900 years.
