Donald Trump Urges Putin to ‘Spare Ukrainian Lives’ Amid Ceasefire Talks

Donald Trump Urges Putin to ‘Spare Ukrainian Lives’: While US President Donald Trump has said that his conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin could lead to an end to the war in Ukraine, he has also sounded a warning that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are now in a situation of being completely surrounded by Russian forces and that this represents a military situation which could prove catastrophic.

In a dramatic post on social media, Trump wrote: "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. 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!!!."

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There has been, as yet, no independently verified information regarding Ukrainian troops being encircled, but Trump has stirred up an intense debate regarding the war and the role he could ostensibly play in negotiations for peace.

Putin, that same day in Moscow, responded to US calls for a ceasefire, stating that, in principle, Russia is ready to halt hostilities, providing that key questions are raised beforehand.

"We agree with the proposal for a ceasefire (with Ukraine) to cease hostilities, but we proceed from the fact that this ceasefire should lead to an enduring peace and should remove the root causes of this crisis," Putin said at a joint press conference with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

However, he expressed doubt regarding how any ceasefire would work. He questioned whether Ukrainian forces would comply fully with it and raised concerns that a halt might allow Kyiv to rearm and regroup.

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"How will other aspects be dealt with along the 2,000-kilometer contact line? As you know, Russian troops are advancing practically in every sector, and all the conditions are there for us to besiege fairly large units. So what would happen during those 30 days?" Putin asked.

He further queried who would enforce the ceasefire and how ceasefire violations would be dealt with, pointing out that some further negotiations would need to take place—doubtless including any announcement of a direct call with Trump.

While his counterpart's response to Moscow's overture should have arguably been measured given the war, Zelenskyy on the other hand unleashed a barrage of accusations against Russia, saying such activity was aimed at prolonging the war rather than genuinely working toward a resolution.

"Regrettably, for more than a day already, the world has yet to hear a meaningful response from Russia to the proposals made. This once again demonstrates that Russia seeks to prolong the war and postpone peace for as long as possible," Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the recapture of Sudzha, the largest town in the Kursk region, from the Ukrainian forces—indicating that fighting continued unabated despite talks on a ceasefire.

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