President Trump said Friday that the US had a “very good and productive” discussion with Russian President Putin a day ago about a possible ceasefire in Ukraine.
Trump's comments about the social media site came after Russian leaders met with Steve Witkov, the US special mission in Moscow late Thursday.
“I had a very good and productive discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday,” Trump wrote on his true social platform on Friday morning with a clear reference to his meeting with Witkov. “It's very likely that this terrifying, bloody war will finally end.”
It was not immediately clear whether the two leaders spoke directly to each other. The Kremlin said earlier Friday that Putin is now hoping to talk to President Trump about a possible ceasefire in Ukraine, but no calls were scheduled.
In the Truth Social Post on Friday, Trump also said thousands of Ukrainian troops were “fully surrounded by Russian troops.” It seemed to be a reference to Russia's claim that Ukrainian soldiers were surrounded by the Kursk region of Russia. This was an allegation challenged by independent analysts and rejected by Ukrainian military officials.
Putin on Thursday wanted Ukraine to order Kursk soldiers to surrender as part of a potential ceasefire deal, suggesting that Russia would not allow them to retreat peacefully.
“I urged Putin to spare their lives,” Trump wrote.
The battle is furious in Kursk as Moscow forces push their forces forward to drive Ukrainian troops from small lands that Moscow forces seized in a surprising cross-border invasion over the summer. The Russian military has been making progress recently, with Putin urging them to finish work “in the shortest possible time.”
On Friday, Ukrainian authorities ordered several villages in the Smie region across the border from Kursk amid fears that the attacks could ripple out and the fighting could.
“Air attacks such as glide bombs and drones are being strengthened in the border areas,” said Volodymia Artikin, head of the Smie Regional Military Regiment in Ukraine on Facebook. He announced forced evacuations for eight villages on Friday, affecting 543 residents.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov told reporters on Friday that there was reason to feel “cautious optimism” about the prospect of a reconciliation to the war after the recent diplomatic flight. He reflected an equally optimistic statement made late Thursday by Trump's national security adviser, Michael Waltz.
Comments from Peskov showed that Russia is eager to continue negotiating with the US via Ukraine.
Before his meeting with Witkov on Thursday, Putin indicated this week that he would not rush to accept the offer of a 30-day truce made by Ukraine and the United States. Putin said he was open to the proposal at a press conference, but he suggested that he would try to negotiate many issues, including the delivery of Western weapons to Ukraine.
Peskov said Friday that Witkov “presented additional information to the Russian side,” and Putin “passed President Trump's information and additional signals.”
However, Peskov suggested that the outcome of the diplomatic outcome will only be revealed after Witkov explains to Trump and then the Russian and American leaders speak over the phone. The two leaders are known to have last spoken on February 12th.
“After Mr. Witkov has given his provincial chief all the information Mr. Witkov received in Moscow, we will decide the timing of the conversation that follows,” Mr. Peskov said. “We both understand that such a conversation is necessary.”
Peskov's comments were the latest indication that Putin is likely trying to balance his desire to upset Trump with his efforts to force widespread concessions from the West and Ukraine. Trump says he wants to end the war as soon as possible, but Putin appears to have time on his side and believes an unconditional ceasefire will benefit Ukraine.
Witkov, the officially president's envoy of the Middle East, has taken on a key role as an interlocutor with Russia. I spent a three-hour meeting with Putin as the prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States was confirmed.
Ukraine has already agreed to support a US-backed ceasefire proposal, but only if Russia is doing the same thing. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Voldmimir Zelensky said at his press conference that Putin had set a huge number of conditions.
But U.S. national security adviser Waltz later told Fox News that the White House had “cautious optimism” about the prospect of a ceasefire. Witkoff said it was “to take things back so that we can evaluate and for President Trump to make decisions about the next step.”
Referring to Putin's press conference on Thursday, Waltz said:
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