WASHINGTON:
US President Donald Trump mentioned on Friday his administration had “productive” talks with Russia a few ceasefire in Ukraine, urging counterpart Vladimir Putin to spare Ukrainian troopers on the entrance line.
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff met Putin late Thursday to put out the main points of a joint US-Ukrainian plan, which envisages a 30-day pause in hostilities between Moscow and Kyiv after three years of warfare.
“We had superb and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there’s a superb probability that this horrible, bloody warfare can lastly come to an finish,” Trump mentioned in a publish on his Reality Social platform.
White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified to reporters that Trump had not spoken to Putin himself on Thursday.
The Kremlin mentioned earlier it was “cautiously optimistic” a deal might be reached, however that Trump and Putin wanted to talk straight earlier than talks may progress.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of attempting to “sabotage diplomacy” after the Russian chief mentioned he had “critical questions” over how a ceasefire would work.
“He’s now doing every part he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extraordinarily troublesome and unacceptable circumstances proper from the beginning even earlier than a ceasefire,” Zelensky mentioned in a publish on X.
Trump additionally appealed to Putin over what he mentioned had been “hundreds” of Ukrainian troops who had been “fully surrounded by the Russian navy, and in a really unhealthy and weak place”.
“I’ve strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This could be a horrible bloodbath, one not seen since World Struggle II,” he mentioned.
Kyiv rapidly denied Trump’s declare, saying there was “no risk” of its troops being encircled.
Russia has prior to now week been driving a lot of Ukraine’s forces out of its Kursk area, elements of which Kyiv occupied final yr.
The Kremlin mentioned each Moscow and Washington understood a direct dialog between Putin and Trump “was wanted”.