Trump says there's a "real possibility" of ending the war in Ukraine after talks with Putin.

Washington / MoscowDonald Trump is optimistic about peace negotiations in Ukraine. following White House special envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin on Thursday in Moscow. In a post on Truth Social, the US president asserted that he sees a "very real possibility" of ending the conflict. "We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very real possibility that this horrific and bloody war may finally come to an end," he wrote to the tycoon on Friday, just a day after the Kremlin leader expressed reluctance to embrace the ceasefire proposal on his terms.

Trump has gladly accepted Putin's explanations for his reservations and, far from considering them an obstacle to achieving the truce, has interpreted them as a window of opportunity. Hours earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had stated that the Russian president listened to the US envoy and "transmitted information to Trump through him." Moscow is "cautiously optimistic" about the progress of the talks, the same expression White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz used in an interview on Fox News on Thursday.

The Kremlin also stressed the importance of a call between the two presidents. "The exact time of the conversation has not yet been agreed upon, but once Mr. Witkoff has conveyed all the information to his head of state, we will determine the moment," Peskov explained. "Both sides understand that this conversation is necessary." After Putin's press conference on Thursday, in which the Russian president opened up about talking to Trump, his counterpart was delighted.

The Kursk Dilemma

One of the concerns on the Ukrainian side is that, despite the fact that the 30-day ceasefire proposal has the support of the United States, Putin could convince Trump to give in to his demands and, in practice, distort it in Russia's favor. That's why the second part of the US president's message has alarmed the Ukrainian forces. "At this very moment, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by Russian military personnel and are in a very weak and vulnerable position. I have firmly urged President Putin to spare their lives. This would be a horrific massacre, the likes of which has not been seen since World War II," Trump wrote. This concerns the situation of Ukrainian soldiers in the occupied Kursk region, where Russian troops are advancing rapidly. This claim, however, was denied by the Ukrainian General Staff, which lamented that this alleged treachery is "false and fabricated by the Russians" with the aim of "political manipulation" and increasing pressure on Ukraine.

Putin responded to Trump by saying that "if the soldiers of the Ukrainian armed forces lay down their weapons and surrender, they will be guaranteed their lives and decent treatment." The Russian president, who has largely rationed his public interventions since the beginning of the thaw with the United States, took advantage of a Security Council meeting to comment on the Republican tycoon's message and concluded by saying: "Ukrainian militants are terrorists, but Russia understands Trump's call."

At the press conference outlining the Kremlin's position on the Washington-Kyiv ceasefire proposal, Putin specifically mentioned the Ukrainian soldiers still fighting in Kursk. ""Should we release them after they've committed numerous crimes against civilians, or will the Ukrainian high command order them to surrender?" he asked. Putin is very keen not to rush into a temporary truce because he wants to complete the operation in the Russian territory, which he has partially controlled since August. He also fears that Ukraine will take advantage of a lull in the fighting to rearm, regroup, and mobilize more troops. In fact, the Russian military completely disapproves of the idea of a ceasefire because they are convinced they have the upper hand and that there is no reason to give even an inch to the enemy now that they have the initiative.

Ukraine's prospects for future negotiations are also not good. "We have been talking with Ukraine about the lands and portions of territory that would be retained and those that would be lost, as well as all the other elements of a final agreement," Trump said on Thursday. During Thursday's meeting with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, the White House seemed to have already taken for granted one of the first concessions to Russia: Kiev will not be able to regain its pre-2014 borders. Trump also pointed to the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant as one of the critical points in the negotiations: "There is a power plant affected, a very large power plant. Who will keep the power plant and who will get what?" Also from Moscow, presidential adviser Yuri Uyzakov asserted that Russia and the United States had agreed that Ukraine's entry into NATO was out of the question.

"The ball is in Russia's court," Trump said after blessing the agreement for a ceasefire between the United States and Ukraine in Saudi Arabia. Now Putin has kicked it back to the White House, which must decide whether to pressure the Kremlin to accept the truce or allow its new "partner." get away with it again.