R to L: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Donald Trump at the Élysée Presidential Palace, Paris, December 7 (Sarah Meyssonnier/ AFP)

Saturday’s Coverage: Russia Kills 13+ Civilians, Injures 41 in South

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1832 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says 43,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed and 370,000 injured have been injured during Russia’s 33-month invasion.

Zelensky said about half of the wounded had been able to return to service after treatment.

The President said 198,000 Russian soldiers had been killed and 550,000 injured. He added that almost 800,000 Russian troops are currently deployed in Ukraine.

UPDATE 1244 GMT:

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says he may consider French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to deploy European peacekeepers in the country; however, it will only be after a clear understanding of the timeline for Kyiv’s NATO membership.

Zelensky said he plans to call US President Joe Biden to discuss an invitation for Ukraine to join the 32-nation bloc.

Despite the President’s entreaties, a summit of NATO Foreign Ministers last week failed to agree on the invitation.

UPDATE 1142 GMT:

At least one civilian has been killed and at least nine injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

The fatality and eight of the wounded were in the Kherson region in southern Ukraine. One person was injured in the Donetsk region in the east.

The Russians attacked overnight with two Kh-59/69 cruise missiles and 37 drones.

Eighteen drones were downed and 19 were lost because of electronic counter-measures.

UPDATE 1134 GMT:

A Russian official, who formerly supervised the notorious Olenivka prisoner of war camp in eastern Ukraine, has reportedly been killed by a car bomb in the occupied Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian Telegram channel Mash said Serhii Yevsiukov was slain. His wife was one of two people seriously injured.

Yevsiukov was wanted by Ukraine on murder, torture, and war crime charges. In June 2022, an explosion at the Olenivka camp killed more than 50 Ukrainian POWs and injured more than 150.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he had a “constructive” discussion with Donald Trump in Paris.

Seeking to pre-empt a cut-off of US aid by Trump, who returns to the White House on January 20, French President Emmanuel Macron used the re-opening of the Notre Dame cathedral to arrange the meeting with Zelensky.

The Ukrainian leader posted about discussion of “important issues on the battlefield and in the global situation, from our frontlines to North Korea”. He referred to Russia’s attempt to “subjugate” its neighbor Georgia, through interference in the country’s politics and elections; a Russian attempt to “sow death” again in the Middle East, despite the fall of its client Bashar al-Assad in Syria; and Moscow’s military presence for “destabilization” in Africa.

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….

When we talk about effective peace with Russia, we must first and foremost talk about effective guarantees for peace.

Documenting the price for Ukraine’s resistance of the Russian invasion — from battlefield losses to civilian deaths to mass deportation, including of tens of thousands of children — Zelensky emphasized:

[Putin] can only be stopped by strength — the strength of world leaders who can become leaders of peace. We count on America and the entire world to help stop Putin. The only things he fears are America and global unity.

Trump did not comment directly about the meeting. Instead, he asserted, “Zelensky and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness.” He added the claim, “I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act. China can help. The world is waiting!”

In an interview taped on Friday, before his departure for Paris, Trump again threatened to withdraw US assistance from Kyiv. Asked about the step, he replied, “Possibly. Yeah, probably, sure.”

Trump also said he would “consider US withdrawal from NATO if allies were not “paying their bills” and “treating us fairly”. Trump responded, “Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.” He refused to say if he had spoken to Putin since winning election in November. “I don’t want to say anything about that, because I don’t want to do anything that could impede the negotiation,” Trump said. The interview was taped Friday and aired on Sunday, ahead of three-way talks with Macron and Zelenskyy over the weekend in Paris.