Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday called for Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region to surrender, hours after former US President Donald Trump revealed that he had urged Putin to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers in the area. Trump shared his plea on Truth Social, saying, “I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared.”
In response, Putin, in televised comments, stated that for Trump’s request to be effective, Ukraine’s leaders needed to order their military units to lay down their arms and surrender. Both Putin and Trump claimed that Ukrainian forces were encircled in Kursk, a region where Ukrainian troops conducted a cross-border incursion last summer. However, Ukrainian officials and independent analysts have rejected these claims. On Friday, Ukraine’s military issued a statement refuting the encirclement reports, calling them “false and fabricated by the Russians.”
A Ukrainian soldier, speaking anonymously from Kursk, acknowledged that the situation was “bad, almost critical,” but denied it was as dire as Trump had suggested. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not indicate any intention for Ukrainian troops to surrender, but admitted the situation was challenging. He accused Putin of sabotaging diplomatic efforts, stating on social media, “Putin cannot get out of this war, because then he will be left with nothing. That is why he is now doing everything possible to sabotage diplomacy, setting extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions from the very beginning, even before the cease-fire.”
Putin’s demand for Ukrainian surrender followed Trump’s comments about “very good and productive discussions” with the Russian leader regarding a potential cease-fire. Trump expressed optimism about the prospects of ending the “horrible, bloody war” and believed a resolution could be reached soon.
The fighting in Kursk has become central to cease-fire talks, with Russian forces making recent gains. Putin urged Russian troops to complete their offensive “in the shortest possible time.” Meanwhile, evacuations were ordered in Ukraine’s Sumy region, which borders Kursk, due to intensified aerial attacks, including glide bombs and drones. Volodymyr Artiukhin, head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration, announced the mandatory evacuation of eight villages.
Despite Ukraine and the US offering a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, Putin continues to demand further conditions, including the surrender of Ukrainian soldiers. He made this demand explicitly on Friday, after hinting at it earlier in the week.
Putin met with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday to discuss the situation. Following the meeting, both Russian and US officials expressed “cautious optimism” about the ongoing negotiations. The Kremlin revealed that Putin had shared additional information and signals for President Trump through Witkoff, with plans for a phone call between Putin and Trump still to be scheduled. Dmitri S. Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, indicated that the outcome of the talks would become clearer after Witkoff briefed Trump.
While Trump remains hopeful about peace prospects, US officials maintain a more cautious stance. National Security Adviser Michael Waltz told Fox News, “Of course, both sides are going to have their demands, and of course, both sides are going to have to make some compromises.”