UKRAINIAN soldiers vowed to fight on yesterday after Donald Trump dropped his pledge to end the war with Russia “within 24 hours” of taking office.

Trump repeated the vow while campaigning but aides have now conceded it will take months to end the conflict between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.

Trump claims to have a working relationship with ruthless Putin – who he plans to meet “very quickly” after moving into the Oval Office.

His 24-hour vow was his biggest foreign policy promise – but evaporated yesterday amid the pomp of his second Washington inauguration.

Military officer Vitaly, 48, said: “Everyone knows you can only half believe what Trump says but we hope he can speed up peace talks.

“Ukraine will still have to give away territory – but for now we must fight on to keep as much of our land as we can.”

Ukraine claimed 150,000 Russians were killed last year — more than 2022 and 2023 combined.

Ukraine general Oleksandr Syrskyi said yesterday that the Kremlin’s total military losses since the start of the war 35 months ago had reached a staggering 434,000 soldiers.

Syrskyi said: “Total losses according to our estimates, were more than 434,000 personnel, of which approximately 150,000 were killed in one year…..in 2024.

“In this year of hostilities, they lost more than in the previous two years of the war.”

Russia disputes the figures.