U.S. President Donald Trump stated that his administration held "productive discussions" with Russian President Vladimir Putin, expressing optimism that the war in Ukraine could come to an end. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said there was now "a very good chance" of a resolution and claimed he had urged Putin to spare Ukrainian troops allegedly surrounded by Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.

According to Trump, "thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military," and he had "strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared," warning that otherwise, it would result in a massacre of a scale not seen since World War II. However, Ukrainian military officials have previously denied that their forces in Kursk are at risk of encirclement.

On March 11, U.S. and Ukrainian delegations met in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kyiv agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire. In exchange, Washington pledged to resume military aid and intelligence sharing, which had been temporarily halted. Two days later, Putin responded to the proposal, neither outright rejecting nor fully accepting it. Instead, he set conditions, including the cessation of Ukrainian mobilization, military training, and foreign aid during the truce.

Moscow has framed its advances in Kursk Oblast as a key factor in ceasefire negotiations. On March 12, Russian authorities claimed they had regained control of over 86% of the territory in the region, including the key town of Sudzha, which Ukrainian troops had seized in August 2024. Putin stated that Ukrainian forces in the area were facing a "complete physical blockade," leaving them with only two choices: surrender or die.

Trump’s comments come amid increased diplomatic activity, with his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, visiting Moscow on March 13. Witkoff held late-night discussions with Putin and relayed additional signals regarding the ceasefire proposal, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. Trump has described Putin’s response as "very promising" but "not complete," and has indicated he is open to a direct meeting with the Russian leader.

Meanwhile, Trump criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for the deterioration of U.S.-Russia relations. He accused the Biden administration of creating a "mess" with Russia and pledged to resolve the crisis. He also warned that if a ceasefire and final peace agreement were not reached, many more lives would be lost.

Putin, in his remarks on March 13, expressed appreciation for Trump’s involvement in peace efforts but insisted that Russia’s concerns regarding the status of Ukrainian troops in Kursk, ceasefire monitoring, and Ukraine’s potential actions during the truce must be addressed before any agreement is finalized.