Picture Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
US President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he had urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers reportedly surrounded by Russian forces.
Trump shared this appeal on his social media platform, Truth Social. He revealed that he had a ‘good and productive’ phone conversation with Putin on Thursday.
Trump referenced Russia’s military advances in the Kursk region, a Russian-controlled territory previously seized by Ukraine, but did not provide specific details.
The Russian President had visited the area on the same day to acknowledge the progress of his forces.
Trump wrote, “We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end – BUT, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, AND IN A VERY BAD AND VULNERABLE POSITION.”
“I have strongly requested President Putin to spare their lives. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II,” he further added.
However, Ukraine’s top military commander denied claims that Russian forces had encircled Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
According to Reuters, the commander clarified that Ukrainian forces were repositioning defensively, not trapped.
Meanwhile, Trump’s representative, Steve Witkoff, arrived in Moscow on Thursday for diplomatic talks.
On the same day, Putin signaled openness to a ceasefire but insisted on specific conditions.
Chief among these was ensuring that Ukraine would not use the pause to regroup its military or receive additional weapons.
The US proposed a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukraine accepted during talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Ukrainian officials finalized the agreement in a meeting.
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