President Donald Trump told reporters on the White House lawn Saturday that 25,000 people died last month in the war between Russia and Ukraine, and 32,000 the month before that.
“Last month, 25,000 people died in the Ukraine-Russia war, okay? 25,000,” Trump said. “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,” he added.
Trump did not cite a source for the figures, and they have not been independently verified. For context, the Center for Strategic & International Studies has estimated that Russia alone has lost as many as 450,000 soldiers since it invaded Ukraine in 2022 — a total figure spread across more than three years of fighting, not a single month.
Trump used the casualty numbers to underscore his push for an end to the war, telling reporters he has spoken recently with Ukrainian President Volodymyr 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,” Trump said.
He said he has pressed Zelenskyy to reach 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. 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.”
The comments follow a policy shift announced Friday by Zelenskyy, who said Trump had agreed to let Ukraine license and produce U.S. Patriot missile interceptors domestically — a reversal after Trump had previously held back on granting such licenses.
“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 wrote Friday.
The remarks come as U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have met with Putin in Moscow as part of the administration’s effort to broker an end to the nearly four-year war. Fox News Digital reported that the White House was contacted for comment.
