Trump stated that he asked Putin to “spare the encircled” Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he had a “very good and productive discussion” with Vladimir Putin on Thursday, March 13.

Trump made this statement on his Truth Social platform, claiming that there is a high chance of resolving the situation around Ukraine.

He also said that during the conversation, he urged Putin to “spare the completely surrounded” Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast. The mention of Kursk Oblast raises questions, as Putin had previously stated that Ukrainian troops were encircled there, but Ukraine has not confirmed this information.

“Yesterday, we had a very good and productive conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and there is a strong possibility that this terrible, bloody war will finally come to an end. But right now, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian army and are in a very difficult and vulnerable position. I strongly urged President Putin to spare their lives. This would be a terrible massacre, the likes of which have not been seen since World War II. God bless them!” Trump wrote.

“Trump’s statement about a productive discussion with Putin and high chances of ending the war indicates that the likelihood of reaching an agreement on a truce is far from zero. If that weren’t the case, the former U.S. president likely wouldn’t have written in such a positive tone. That is the main takeaway from what Trump said,” the channel commented.

However, the White House denied that Trump personally spoke with Putin, clarifying that it was Trump’s special representative, Steven Witkoff, who communicated with the Russian president.

In his social media post, Trump used the phrase “we had a conversation with Putin,” which many interpreted as a direct discussion between the two leaders. However, if Witkoff was the one who spoke with Putin, Trump’s remarks could refer to his representative’s conversation rather than his own.

Trump has repeatedly promised to “pull the U.S. out of chaos” in relations with Russia” if he returns to office.

This latest episode adds to the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s role in potential peace negotiations and whether his claims accurately reflect the situation.