Trump Claims High Casualty Numbers in Ukraine War, Urges Peace Deal

Former President Donald Trump claimed on Saturday that 25,000 people died in the Russia-Ukraine war last month and 32,000 the month prior, predominantly soldiers. He also stated he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to pursue a peace deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Last month, 25,000 people died in the Ukraine-Russia war, okay? 25,000," Trump told reporters on the White House lawn. "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."

According to the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), Russia may have lost as many as 450,000 soldiers since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Trump also indicated his desire for a swift end to the conflict, mentioning recent conversations with Zelenskyy. "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 said.

He asserted that he had encouraged Zelenskyy to reach an agreement with Putin. "I agreed with Zelenskyy that we talked about a lot of different subjects, and many of those subjects, very strong agreement. 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."

In a separate development, Zelenskyy announced on Friday that Trump had agreed to authorize Ukraine to license and produce U.S. Patriot missile interceptors. "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," Zelenskyy posted on social media. Trump had previously expressed reservations about granting Ukraine these licenses.

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.