Putin says Russia will spare Ukrainian forces in Kursk if they surrender

After US President Donald Trump urged him to avoid a “horrible massacre” there, President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia will spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers in its western Kursk region if Kyiv orders them to surrender.

Ukraine disputed the claim that its troops were encircled in Kursk, calling it a Russian fabrication, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday described the situation there as “very difficult”.

Trump claimed on social media that he had requested the Russian president spare the lives of thousands of Ukrainians who he claimed were “completely surrounded” and “vulnerable.”

“I have asked that President Putin spare them their lives,” I said. He claimed that this would be a terrible massacre, the first since World War II.

Putin addressed his Security Council, stating that he understood Trump’s call to consider humanitarian issues.

In this regard, Putin said, “I would like to point out that if the Ukrainian troops lay down their weapons and surrender, they will be guaranteed life and decent treatment in accordance with international law and the Russian Federation’s laws.”

A corresponding order from Ukraine’s military and political leadership is required for its military units to lay down their weapons and give up, according to the US president’s appeal.

In recent days, a Russian counteroffensive has taken control of much of the land Ukraine captured there last summer, giving Kyiv a significant source of leverage over Moscow in any potential truce negotiations.

In the Sumy region facing Kursk, Russian troops have also crossed the border into Ukrainian territory.

talks on a ceasefire

Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, spoke to Putin in Moscow on Thursday about a 30-day interim ceasefire proposal.

Putin on Thursday said he supported the idea of a ceasefire but that he had to meet a number of requirements before Moscow would accept the truce, while Kyiv has stated that it is ready to accept it.

Trump praised the discussions as being “very good and productive” and claimed there was “very good chance that this horrible, bloody war will finally come to an end.”

Zelenskyy urged the US and other allies to put pressure on Moscow and said he saw a good chance of bringing an end to the conflict with Russia.

We have a good chance to put an end to this conflict quickly and bring about peace at this time. Zelenskyy stated on X that we have a solid security agreement with our European partners.

He reiterated his belief in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s desire to put off a ceasefire for as long as possible in a press conference.

The United States will not let them play around if there is a strong response. And if there are actions Russia doesn’t fear, they will halt it,” Zelenskyy said.

Putin, who has expressed concern that Ukraine will use any truce to regroup, used the late-night meeting with Witkoff to provide information and “signals” to Trump, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov said, “There are certainly reasons to be cautiously optimistic,” and that “Putin] said he supports President Trump’s position regarding a settlement, but he also raised some issues that need to be addressed collectively.”

Once Witkoff had briefed Trump, Peskov said a phone call between the presidents would be decided.

Putin has stated that he wants the size of the Ukrainian army to be limited, that Russia should have complete control over the four Ukrainian regions it has claimed to be its own, and that Ukraine should abandon its plans to join NATO.

He has also stated that he wants the lifting of all sanctions from the West and the holding of presidential elections in Ukraine, which Kyiv claims is premature given that martial law is still in place.

Former British ambassador to Russia, Tony Brenton, claimed that Putin was eager to “draw a conclusion that is sellable to his people” because the conflict in Ukraine started disastrously for the Russians and has also cost the Kremlin a lot of money.

However, some Russian concerns persist. They are winning that conflict in Kursk, and they might want to wrap up it before the ceasefire is implemented. Second, he claimed that a ceasefire does not imply that everyone stops shooting. Instead, he suggested there should be some kind of system that is monitored, he added.

He said, “In those terms, there are discussions and delays to implementing the ceasefire.”

Source: Aljazeera