President Donald Trump asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to order Moscow forces to refrain from killing Ukrainian troops who have been surrounded.
Russian troops recaptured 28 settlements in its western Kursk region in the past week and took control of the village of Noven'ke in Ukraine's adjacent Sumy region, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.
The news came amid reports that Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, asking him to convey Moscow's thoughts to Washington.
"We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end — BUT, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, AND IN A VERY BAD AND VULNERABLE POSITION," Trump posted Friday on Truth Social.
"I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II. God bless them all!!!"
Putin said Thursday that he agreed in principle with a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, but the terms needed to be worked out, and he emphasized that it should pave the way to lasting peace.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday warned that Putin will drag out a deal for a ceasefire because he is not interested in peace, The New York Times reported.
Zelenskyy added that Putin has demanded so many preconditions that "nothing will work out at all, or that it will not work out for as long as possible."
Classified U.S. intelligence reports as recently as this month said Putin continues to focus on his maximalist goal of bringing Ukraine into Russia's security and economic orbit despite Trump's attempts to end the war through negotiations, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
Russia has sharply accelerated a push to drive Ukrainian forces out of Kursk, where they took control of about 100 settlements in a surprise incursion into Russian territory last August.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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