Donald Trump says US had productive talks with Putin over Ukraine conflict
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 put up on Friday mentioned the talks supplied “an excellent probability that this horrible, bloody conflict can lastly come to an finish”.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, nonetheless, maintained that Putin’s response thus far exhibits Russia needs to proceed the conflict and doesn’t need a ceasefire.
On Thursday, Putin had mentioned the thought of a ceasefire was “proper and we assist it… however there are nuances” and he set out numerous powerful circumstances for peace, a response branded “manipulative” by Zelensky.
Ukraine’s chief continued his criticism on Friday in a sequence of posts on X, writing: “Putin can’t exit this conflict as a result of that would depart him with nothing.
“That’s the reason he’s now doing all the things he can to sabotage diplomacy by setting extraordinarily troublesome and unacceptable circumstances proper from the beginning even earlier than a ceasefire.”
He mentioned Putin would “drag” everybody into “limitless 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.”
Earlier this week, Ukraine accepted the US-proposed ceasefire deal, which Russia is but to conform to.
On Saturday, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will probably be internet hosting a video name with about 25 leaders to develop the peacekeeping mission proposed throughout a summit with Zelensky and different counterparts in London earlier this month.
The “coalition of the prepared” – as Sir Keir referred to as it – will work to discourage future Russian aggression, ought to the US-proposed ceasefire come into impact.
“We won’t permit President Putin to play video games with President Trump’s deal,” he mentioned forward of the decision.
In his social media posts on Friday, Zelensky “strongly” urged “everybody who can affect Russia, particularly the US, to take robust steps that may assist”, as a result of Putin wouldn’t cease the conflict on his personal.
“Putin is mendacity about the actual state of affairs on the battlefield… the casualties” and “the true state of his financial system”, he mentioned, explaining that Putin was “doing all the things 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 Trump has been “placing strain on Putin and the Russians to do the proper factor”.
Trump’s social media put up additionally “strongly requested” 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 Conflict Two.
His feedback got here after Putin mentioned on Thursday that Ukrainian troops in Kursk had been “remoted” and had been attempting to go away, as Russia ramps up efforts to reclaim the area invaded by Ukraine final yr.
However on Friday, Ukraine’s armed forces normal workers denied the encirclement of its troops, calling it “false and fabricated”.
In an announcement, it mentioned operations had been persevering with, with Ukrainian troops having withdrawn and “efficiently regrouped” to raised defensive positions.
“There isn’t a risk of encirclement of our items,” it mentioned.
In response to Trump’s request, Putin mentioned Ukrainian troopers in Kursk could be handled with “dignity in step 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 at the moment are finding out and taking a look at Russian reactions, so in the end the ball is now in Russia’s courtroom in terms of 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 circumstances”.
Following the assembly, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio mentioned the US wouldn’t make overseas coverage choices primarily based on what leaders mentioned on social media or at a information convention, and harassed the “solely solution to finish this conflict is thru a means of negotiations”.
