Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Mar 15: Former US President Donald Trump claimed he personally urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare the lives of thousands of Ukrainian troops allegedly surrounded by Russian forces, calling the situation a potential “massacre not seen since World War II.”

Trump revealed on Truth Social that he had a ‘good and productive’ conversation with Putin on Thursday, during which he made the appeal. He did not specify details but referred to the ongoing Russian military advance in the Kursk region, recently seized from Ukraine. Putin had visited the area on the same day to review military progress.

“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,” Trump wrote. “But, at this very moment, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military, and in a very bad and vulnerable position.”

However, Ukraine’s top commander denied these claims, asserting that Ukrainian forces were not encircled and were instead reinforcing defensive positions, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Moscow for talks on Thursday, coinciding with Putin’s conditional agreement to a ceasefire proposal. The US-backed plan, which Ukraine has accepted, calls for a 30-day pause in fighting. However, Putin insists that Kyiv must not use the ceasefire to remobilize or receive additional weapons before he formally signs off.

The ceasefire proposal was discussed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz met with Ukrainian officials.

With diplomatic negotiations ongoing, the prospect of a temporary halt in hostilities hangs in the balance as both sides weigh their strategic positions.