US President Donald Trump has commended the discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the ceasefire proposal in Ukraine, describing them as “good and productive.”
This statement follows a meeting between Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday evening, after which the Kremlin expressed its “cautious optimism” regarding the peace process in alignment with the United States.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump remarked that the discussions offered “a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.”
Conversely, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Putin of attempting to prolong negotiations to sustain the conflict, while Sir Keir Starmer asserted that the Russian president should not be permitted to “play games” with ceasefire initiatives.
Earlier this week, Ukraine agreed to the US-proposed ceasefire, which Russia has yet to endorse.
On Thursday, Putin acknowledged that the concept of a ceasefire was “correct and we support it… but there are nuances,” outlining several stringent conditions for peace, a stance that Zelensky labeled as “manipulative.”
Continuing his critique on Friday through a series of posts on X, Ukraine’s leader stated: “Putin cannot exit this war because that would leave him with nothing.
“That is why he is now doing everything he can to sabotage diplomacy by imposing extremely difficult and unacceptable conditions right from the outset, even before a ceasefire.”
He stated that Putin would “drag” everyone into “endless discussions… wasting days, weeks, and months on futile conversations while his weapons continue to claim lives.”
“Every condition proposed by Putin is merely a tactic to obstruct any diplomatic efforts. This is characteristic of Russia’s approach, and we have forewarned about it.”
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir remarked that the Kremlin’s “complete disregard” for Trump’s ceasefire proposal indicated that Putin was “not genuinely committed to peace.”
“If Russia eventually agrees to negotiations, we must be prepared to oversee a ceasefire to ensure it leads to a serious and lasting peace,” he asserted.
“Should they refuse, we must exert every effort to intensify economic pressure on Russia to bring an end to this conflict.”
On Saturday, Sir Keir will conduct a video conference with up to 25 leaders to advance the peacekeeping initiative proposed during a summit in London earlier this month.
He referred to this as the “coalition of the willing,” which aims to deter future Russian aggression, contingent upon the implementation of the US-proposed ceasefire.
In his social media updates on Friday, Zelensky “strongly” urged “everyone who can influence Russia, particularly the United States, to take decisive actions that could help,” emphasizing that Putin would not cease hostilities on his own.
“Putin is misrepresenting the actual situation on the battlefield… the casualties” and “the true condition of his economy,” he stated, adding that Putin was “doing everything possible to ensure that diplomacy fails.”
However, the White House believes that the two parties have “never been this close to peace.”
In remarks to reporters, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt asserted that the discussions between Putin and Witkoff in Moscow on Thursday were “productive.”
She noted that Trump has been “applying pressure on Putin and the Russians to act appropriately.”
Trump’s social media message also “strongly urged” Putin to spare the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, whom he described as encircled by Russian forces, warning that it would result in a “horrible massacre” not witnessed since World War Two.
His remarks followed President Putin’s statement on Thursday, in which he claimed that Ukrainian forces in Kursk had been “isolated” and were attempting to retreat, as Russia intensifies its efforts to reclaim the territory that was invaded by Ukraine last year.
However, on Friday, the general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces refuted the assertion of their troops being encircled, labeling it as “false and fabricated.”
In their statement, they confirmed that operations were ongoing, with Ukrainian forces having withdrawn and “successfully regrouped” to more advantageous defensive positions.
“There is no threat of encirclement for our units,” they asserted.
In response to a request from Trump, Putin indicated that Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk would be treated with “dignity in accordance with international law and the laws of the Russian Federation” if they surrendered and laid down their arms.
Meanwhile, G7 leaders convened in Quebec, where Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly announced that all members supported the US proposal for a ceasefire, which has the backing of Ukraine.
“We are currently assessing Russian responses, so the decision now rests with Russia regarding Ukraine,” she stated.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who also attended the meeting, emphasized that the members were unified in their call for an unconditional ceasefire.
Following the discussions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked that the US would not base its foreign policy decisions on statements made by leaders on social media or during press conferences, underscoring that “the only way to conclude this war is through negotiations.”