In a highly unusual public appeal, US President Donald Trump called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of Ukrainian troops reportedly surrounded in Russia’s Kursk region.
Trump made his appeal during Moscow’s continuing push in Kursk, with the aim of recapturing areas Ukraine took last year. Russian troops claim to have reclaimed 86% of the territory lost, including the strategic town of Sudzha.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump stated, “Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are at this moment surrounded by the Russian army and in a very bad and compromised position. I have personally asked President Putin to save their lives. This will be a terrible massacre, one that has not occurred since World War II. God bless them all!”
His call is concurrent with debate regarding a reported 30-day ceasefire, which has been endorsed by the US and Ukraine. Putin has accepted that there could be a truce but has specified tough terms for it, including the capitulation of Ukrainian troops in Kursk.
Trump’s comments have elicited doubt from Ukraine’s military and independent analysts, who argue against reports of Ukrainian troops being surrounded. In a statement on X, Ukraine’s General Staff rejected these reports as Russian propaganda, noting that their forces had tactically repositioned and remained resisting Russian advances.
In the meanwhile, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has sat down to meet with Putin on Thursday for talks. Although there have been continuous aggressions by Russia and backing of North Korean soldiers, Trump remained hopeful, saying that “there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.”
Trump’s alignment with Russia’s spin is in keeping with his track record of believing Putin ahead of American intelligence. With ceasefire negotiations ongoing, Putin has indicated he will only settle for capitulation, discounting any Ukrainian withdrawal from Kursk.
