US had ‘productive’ talks with Putin over Ukraine warfare, Trump says

US President Donald Trump has praised talks held with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the US-proposed ceasefire deal in Ukraine as “good and productive”.

This comes after Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff met in Moscow on Thursday night, throughout which they exchanged data and shared the US’s “cautious optimism” over a peace course of, the Kremlin confirmed.

Trump’s Fact Social submit on Friday mentioned the talks offered “an excellent probability that this horrible, bloody warfare can lastly come to an finish”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, nonetheless, maintained that Putin’s response thus far exhibits Russia desires to proceed the warfare and doesn’t need a ceasefire.

“Putin can not exit this warfare as a result of that would depart him with nothing,” Zelensky wrote in a sequence of posts on X.

“That’s the reason he’s now doing every thing he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extraordinarily tough and unacceptable situations proper from the beginning even earlier than a ceasefire.”

He mentioned Putin would “drag” everybody into “countless discussions… losing days, weeks, and months on meaningless talks whereas his weapons proceed to kill folks”.

“Each situation Putin places ahead is simply an try to dam any diplomacy. That is how Russia works. And we warned about this.”

In his each day handle the night time earlier than, Zelensky mentioned Putin was making ready to “reject” a ceasefire, explaining that Putin “does not say ‘no’ outright”.

Earlier this week, Ukraine accepted the US-proposed ceasefire deal, which Russia is but to conform to.

“I strongly urge everybody who can affect Russia, particularly the USA, to take robust steps that may assist,” Zelensky mentioned in his social media posts on Friday, including that Putin wouldn’t cease the warfare on his personal.

“Putin is mendacity about the true scenario on the battlefield… the casualties” and “the true state of his economic system”, he mentioned, explaining that Putin was “doing every thing doable to make sure that diplomacy fails”.

However the White Home believes the 2 sides have “by no means been this near peace”.

Speaking to reporters, White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt maintained that the talks between Putin and Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday had been “productive”.

She added that Trump has been “placing strain on Putin and the Russians to do the fitting factor”.

Trump’s social media submit additionally “strongly requested” that Putin ought to spare the lives of Ukrainian troops, whom he described as surrounded by Russian forces, including it might be a “horrible bloodbath” not seen since World Struggle Two.

It comes as Russia ramped up its efforts to reclaim Kursk, which was invaded by Ukraine final 12 months. Russia’s defence ministry mentioned it had taken again 28 settlements within the area.

However on Friday, Ukraine’s armed forces common employees denied the encirclement of its troops within the Russian area, calling it “false and fabricated”.

In an announcement, it mentioned operations had been persevering with, with Ukrainian troops having withdrawn and “efficiently regrouped” to higher defensive positions.

“There isn’t any risk of encirclement of our models,” it mentioned on Telegram.

In response to Trump’s request, Putin mentioned Ukrainian troopers in Kursk could be handled with “dignity consistent with the norms of worldwide regulation and the legal guidelines of the Russian Federation” in the event that they gave up arms and surrendered.

In the meantime, G7 members have been assembly in Quebec, the place host Canadian International Minister Mélanie Joly mentioned all of the members agreed with the US proposal of a ceasefire that’s supported by Ukrainians.

“And we are actually learning and taking a look at Russian reactions, so in the end the ball is now in Russia’s courtroom in relation to Ukraine.”

UK International Secretary David Lammy, who was additionally on the assembly, mentioned the members had been united in calling for a ceasefire with “no situations”.

Following the assembly, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned the US wouldn’t make international coverage choices primarily based on what leaders mentioned on social media or at a information convention, and careworn the “solely solution to finish this warfare is thru a strategy of negotiations”.