President Trump stated on Friday that the US had “excellent and productive” discussions with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia a day earlier a few potential cease-fire in Ukraine.
The remarks on Mr. Trump’s social media web site got here after the Russian chief met with Steve Witkoff, the U.S. particular envoy, in Moscow, late Thursday.
“We had excellent and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday,” Mr. Trump wrote on his Reality Social platform on Friday morning, in an obvious reference to the assembly with Mr. Witkoff. “There’s a excellent probability that this horrible, bloody struggle can lastly come to an finish.”
It wasn’t instantly clear whether or not the 2 leaders had immediately spoken to one another. The Kremlin stated earlier Friday that Mr. Putin now expects to speak to President Trump a few doable cease-fire in Ukraine, however that the decision had but to be scheduled.
In Friday’s Reality Social put up, Mr. Trump additionally stated hundreds of Ukrainian troops had been “fully surrounded by the Russian navy.” That seemed to be a reference to Russian claims that Ukrainian troopers had been surrounded within the Kursk area of Russia — claims which were challenged by unbiased analysts and that Ukraine’s navy officers have rejected.
Mr. Putin on Thursday had steered that he wished Ukraine to order its troopers in Kursk to give up as a part of any potential cease-fire deal, signaling that Russia wouldn’t allow them to peacefully withdraw.
“I’ve strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared,” Mr. Trump wrote.
Battles have been raging in Kursk as Moscow’s forces push to drive Ukrainian troops from the small patch of land they seized over the summer time in a shock cross-border incursion. Russian troops have superior in current days, with Mr. Putin urging them to complete the job “in the shortest possible time.”
On Friday, the Ukrainian authorities ordered a number of villages within the Sumy area, throughout the border from Kursk, to evacuate amid elevated assaults and fears that the combating might spill over.
“Aerial assaults — similar to glide bombs and drones — have intensified within the border areas,” stated Volodymyr Artiukhin, the Ukrainian head of the Sumy Regional Army Administration, on Fb. He introduced the necessary evacuation on Friday of eight villages, affecting 543 residents.
Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesman, informed reporters on Friday that there was “definitely” purpose to really feel “cautious optimism” in regards to the prospects for a settlement to the struggle, after a flurry of diplomacy in current days. He was echoing equally optimistic remarks made by Michael Waltz, Mr. Trump’s nationwide safety adviser, late Thursday.
The feedback from Mr. Peskov signaled that Russia was keen to maintain negotiating with the US over Ukraine.
On Thursday, earlier than the assembly with Mr. Witkoff, Mr. Putin confirmed that he was in no hurry to just accept the supply of a 30-day truce made by Ukraine and the US this week. Mr. Putin told a news conference that he was open to the proposal, however steered that he would search to barter over a slew of points — similar to Western weapons deliveries to Ukraine — that might delay any deal or make it inconceivable.
Mr. Peskov stated on Friday that Mr. Witkoff had “introduced further data to the Russian aspect” and that Mr. Putin “handed alongside data and extra alerts for President Trump.”
However Mr. Peskov steered that the end result of the diplomatic back-and-forth would solely turn out to be clear after Mr. Witkoff had briefed Mr. Trump, and after the Russian and American leaders had spoken by cellphone. The 2 leaders are last known to have spoken on Feb. 12.
“After Mr. Witkoff passes alongside the entire data he acquired in Moscow to his head of state — we’ll decide the timing of the dialog after that,” Mr. Peskov stated. “There’s an understanding on either side that such a dialog is important.”
Mr. Peskov’s feedback had been the most recent indication that Mr. Putin is probably going making an attempt to steadiness a need to keep away from upsetting Mr. Trump together with his effort to power wide-ranging concessions from the West and from Ukraine. Whereas Mr. Trump says he desires to finish the struggle as rapidly as doable, Mr. Putin seems assured that he has time on his aspect and that an unconditional cease-fire would profit Ukraine.
Mr. Witkoff, who’s formally the president’s Center East envoy, has additionally taken on a key position as an interlocutor with Russia — spending three hours assembly with Mr. Putin final month as he finalized a prisoner exchange between Russia and the US.
Ukraine has already agreed to support the U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal, however provided that Russia does the identical. On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine stated that Mr. Putin in his information convention had set so many situations “that nothing will work out in any respect or that it’s going to not work out for so long as doable.”
However Mr. Waltz, the U.S. nationwide safety adviser, later stated on Fox Information that the White Home had “some cautious optimism” in regards to the prospects for a cease-fire. Mr. Witkoff, he stated, was “bringing issues again for us to guage and for President Trump to make choices on subsequent steps.”
Referring to Mr. Putin’s information convention on Thursday, Mr. Waltz stated, “In fact, either side are going to have their calls for, and naturally either side are going to should make some compromises.”
