Trump Claims US Had ‘Productive’ Discussions with Putin Regarding Ukraine Conflict

US President Donald Trump has hailed discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the US-suggested ceasefire agreement in Ukraine as “positive and fruitful”.

This statement follows a meeting between Putin and US representative Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday evening, where they shared insights and expressed the US’s “cautious optimism” concerning a peace initiative, as confirmed by the Kremlin.

In a post on Truth Social on Friday, Trump stated that the discussions offered “a very good chance that this horrific, bloody conflict could finally be resolved”.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that Putin’s current stance indicates Russia intends to prolong the conflict and is not interested in a ceasefire.

“Putin cannot withdraw from this war because that would leave him with nothing,” Zelensky expressed in a series of posts on X.

“That is precisely why he is attempting to undermine diplomacy by imposing extremely challenging and unacceptable terms from the outset, even before a ceasefire is discussed.”

He noted that Putin would “entangle” everyone in “never-ending conversations… wasting days, weeks, and months on pointless discussions while his artillery continues to take lives”.

“Every stipulation proposed by Putin is merely a strategy to hinder any diplomatic efforts. This is the way Russia operates, and we had warned about this.”

In his nightly address the previous day, Zelensky stated that Putin was gearing up to “dismiss” a ceasefire, explaining that Putin “does not outright declare ‘no'”.

Earlier in the week, Ukraine accepted the US’s proposed ceasefire, which Russia has yet to endorse.

“I strongly urge everyone with the capacity to influence Russia, particularly the United States, to take decisive measures that can assist,” Zelensky articulated in his social media updates on Friday, emphasizing that Putin would not end the war voluntarily.

“Putin is misleading regarding the true state of the battlefield… the casualties” and “the genuine condition of his economy”, he remarked, adding that Putin was “doing everything in his power to ensure that diplomacy fails”.

Nevertheless, the White House expresses that the two parties have “never been closer to peace”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters that the discussions between Putin and Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday were “fruitful”.

She added that Trump has been “exerting pressure on Putin and the Russians to act appropriately”.

Trump’s social media message also “strongly urged” that Putin should spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, whom he described as encircled by Russian troops, stating it would be a “horrific massacre” unseen since World War Two.

These remarks came in the wake of Putin’s statement on Thursday that Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk had been “isolated” and were attempting to escape, as Russia intensifies efforts to reclaim the region invaded by Ukraine last year.

However, on Friday, Ukraine’s armed forces general staff refuted the claim of encirclement, calling it “false and fabricated”.

In a statement, they reported ongoing operations, with Ukrainian forces having withdrawn and “successfully regrouped” to more strategic defensive positions.

“There is no encirclement threat to our units,” it stated via Telegram.

In response to Trump’s appeal, Putin assured that Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk would be treated with “dignity in accordance with international law and the statutes of the Russian Federation” if they surrendered and laid down their weapons.

Meanwhile, G7 members convened in Quebec, where Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly confirmed that all members agreed with the US’s ceasefire proposal, which has Ukrainian support.

“We are currently examining and observing Russian reactions, thus the next move is in Russia’s hands regarding Ukraine.”

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, also present at the meeting, stated that the members were united in demanding a ceasefire with “no conditions”.

Following the gathering, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that the US would not base foreign policy decisions on remarks made by leaders on social media or during news conferences, insisting that “the sole way to conclude this conflict is through a negotiation process”.