Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned on Friday that President Vladimir Putin despatched some “extra alerts” to President Donald Trump regarding Trump’s proposal for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Putin mentioned on Thursday he is able to settle for the proposal in precept, however he demanded some modifications that Ukraine is unlikely to just accept.
Peskov mentioned Putin’s messages have been handed alongside to Trump by U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, who arrived in Moscow on Thursday for a gathering with Putin. Amongst Witkoff’s goals is organising a telephone name between Trump and Putin, one thing Peskov mentioned may occur after Witkoff brings Putin’s messages again to Washington.
“Further data was offered to the Russian facet. By Witkoff, Putin additionally handed data and extra alerts to Trump,” Peskov mentioned at a press convention on Friday, shortly after Witkoff left Moscow.
Peskov mentioned “there are causes to really feel this cautious optimism” concerning the Trump proposal, though “a terrific deal” of labor must be performed. He mentioned “each side perceive” {that a} direct dialog between Trump and Putin is critical. The final recognized direct dialog between the 2 leaders was virtually precisely one month in the past.
Putin and Trump blasted some extra alerts at one another on Friday. Trump wrote a submit on his most well-liked social media platform, Fact Social, wherein he praised Witkoff’s “excellent and productive discussions” with Putin on Thursday.
“There’s a excellent probability that this horrible, bloody warfare can lastly come to an finish,” 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,” Trump added, switching to all-caps for emphasis as he usually does.
“I’ve strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared. This could be a horrible bloodbath, one not seen since World Struggle II. God bless all of them!!!” Trump mentioned.
President Trump was referring to the Ukrainian pressure in Kursk. Ukraine launched a shock counter-invasion of Kursk in August 2024, embarrassing the Russian navy and prompting Putin to name in reinforcements from his ally, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.
The Ukrainians held on in Kursk for over half a 12 months, however they’ve just lately suffered a string of setbacks, together with the lack of the most important city in Kursk that they had occupied. Putin recommended on Wednesday that not solely is the Ukrainian pressure on the verge of being utterly eradicated, however victorious Russian troops could push past the border to create a “safety zone” of captured Ukrainian territory.
Putin responded in a televised deal with to his Safety Council on Friday, accusing the Ukrainian invaders of “terrorism” however suggesting they could obtain lenient therapy – in the event that they unconditionally give up.
“I wish to emphasize that in the event that they lay down their arms and give up, they are going to be assured life and respectable therapy in accordance with worldwide legislation and the legal guidelines of the Russian Federation,” Putin mentioned.
“To successfully implement the enchantment of the U.S. president, a corresponding order from the military-political management of Ukraine is required for its navy models to put down their arms and give up,” he harassed.
The Ukrainian navy insisted its forces in Kursk should not surrounded or getting ready to destruction, dismissing reviews on the contrary as “false and fabricated by the Russians.” They undermined these denials considerably by ordering necessary evacuations in Sumy, the a part of Ukraine that Russia would invade if its forces pushed throughout the border from Kursk.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned on Friday that Putin was merely “doing all the pieces doable to make sure that diplomacy fails.”
“Putin can’t get out of this warfare, as a result of then he will probably be left with nothing. That’s the reason he’s now doing all the pieces doable to sabotage diplomacy, setting extraordinarily troublesome and unacceptable circumstances from the very starting, even earlier than the cease-fire,” Zelensky mentioned.
Zelensky beforehand dismissed Putin’s response to Trump’s ceasefire overtures as “very predictable” and “very manipulative.”
“We don’t set circumstances that complicate something. Russia does that. As now we have at all times mentioned, the one one who will drag issues out, the one one who will probably be unconstructive is Russia,” he mentioned.
