Trump Reveals Details of Talk with Putin, Including an Urgent Request He Made of Russia

President Donald Trump on Friday expressed optimism regarding efforts to end Russia’s war with Ukraine while emphasizing the urgent need to prevent a “horrible massacre.”

Posting on his Truth Social account, Trump stated that U.S. negotiators “had very good and productive discussions” with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He also noted that there is “a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.”

However, a potentially violent escalation appears imminent.

Trump highlighted the situation in his post, writing in capital letters, “AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, AND IN A VERY BAD AND VULNERABLE POSITION.”

While he did not elaborate, Ukrainian forces that moved into Russia’s Kursk region in August are now facing an aggressive counteroffensive from Russian troops.

On Saturday, Newsweek reported that the latest positioning of forces suggested Ukrainian troops risk being encircled.

Nearly a week later, Trump is working to prevent a dire outcome for those soldiers.

“I have strongly requested to President Putin that their lives be spared,” Trump stated. “This would be a horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II. God bless them all!!!”

Trump has prioritized brokering peace between Russia and Ukraine as a key objective.

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, following signs of weakness from then-President Joe Biden’s administration.

Since then, the conflict has led to over a million casualties, with both sides suffering significant losses, according to a Wall Street Journal report from September.

At that time, the Journal estimated that approximately 80,000 Ukrainian troops had been killed, with 400,000 wounded. Russian forces reportedly suffered up to 200,000 fatalities and around 400,000 injuries.

On Thursday, during negotiations in Saudi Arabia, Ukraine agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, though Russia, the initial aggressor, had not yet followed suit.

Regarding the Ukrainian forces in Kursk, the Washington, D.C.-based news outlet Axios noted that Putin raised questions about their fate.

“Would it mean that everybody there would leave?” he reportedly asked. “Should we release them after they committed serious crimes against civilians?”

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s top military commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, acknowledged the challenges his forces face in Kursk but refuted claims of encirclement, as reported by Axios.

He asserted that Ukraine’s military remains capable of continuing the fight in Kursk “as long as reasonable and necessary,” Axios reported.