President Donald Trump asked the Kremlin to spare the lives of Ukrainian troops a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, AND IN A VERY BAD AND VULNERABLE POSITION,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Friday. “I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared.”
Trump added that the looming Russian attack would be a “horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The post did not mention whether Trump and Putin had spoken directly, but Russia’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that Putin and Trump would soon speak on the phone.
In a statement released on X, Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces denied that Russian forces had “surrounded” Ukrainian soldiers.
“Reports of the alleged ‘encirclement’ of Ukrainian units in the Kursk region by the enemy are untrue and are being created by the Russians for political purposes and pressure on Ukraine and its partners,” the statement read.
Trump further said Friday that the three-year war between Russia and Ukraine could end after “productive” discussions with Putin. He wrote on Truth Social that the discussions that took place Thursday were “very good” and that there is a “very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.”
Despite Trump’s reassurance, many question the legitimacy of the proposed ceasefire as Putin voiced doubts on Thursday.
“We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis,” Putin said in a Thursday conference after consenting to a 30-day pause on fighting. But he also voiced concerns about the deal and asked how the ceasefire would be enforced.
“Does that mean Ukraine will use those 30 days to continue forced mobilization, get weapons supplies, and prepare its mobilized units?” he asked.
The United States has been in talks with Ukraine and Russia for a peace deal. Since taking office, Trump has engaged in tense arguments with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and initially claimed that Ukraine wasn’t ready for peace.
Representatives from both countries met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and released a statement calling for an “immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire.” The U.S. also lifted its pause on military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine and recently teased sanctions on Russia—although Trump has yet to follow up on the latter.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called Putin’s response “manipulative” and “predictable.”
He said that Putin was afraid to tell Trump that he wants to continue the war and “kill Ukrainians.” He added that they are conceding to a ceasefire but with “such preconditions that nothing will work out at all” or for as long as possible.
“Putin often does this—he does not say ‘no’ directly, but does so in a way that only delays everything and makes normal decisions impossible," he said. “We believe that all this is now another Russian manipulation.”
Putin is also listing several demands that Ukraine must comply with in order to establish a permanent ceasefire. He’s asked Ukraine to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea, withdraw troops from lands claimed by Russia, and pledge not to join NATO. He also demanded that Ukraine limit its military and hold elections to replace Zelensky.
Trump officials have also suggested that Zelensky step aside, and Trump has gone so far as to suggest that he is a “dictator.” Ukraine has been under martial law and unable to hold elections since Russia invaded in 2022—another matter that Trump blames Zelensky for.
Zelensky is skeptical that peace is possible as Putin maintains that he is not in a rush to agree to a permanent deal. The Ukrainian leader has called on the global community to apply sanctions on Russia and urged them to accept an unconditional ceasefire.
“We are not setting conditions that complicate the process—Russia is," he wrote on X. “As we have always said, the only one stalling, the only one being unconstructive, is Russia. They need this war. Putin has stolen years of peace and continues this war day after day.”
