Muhammed Yasin Güngör
14 March 2025•Update: 14 March 2025
ISTANBUL
US President Donald Trump on Friday described his recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin as “very good and productive,” expressing optimism about ending the ongoing war in Ukraine.
“There is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” Trump wrote on social media.
However, Trump also warned of a dire situation for Ukrainian troops, saying that thousands are “completely surrounded by the Russian military” and in a “very bad and vulnerable position.”
He stressed his request to Putin to "spare" their lives, calling the potential loss a “horrible massacre, one not seen since World War II.”
He was referring to the situation in the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched an incursion last August. Russia has been making rapid gains in recent weeks and says the Ukrainian troops there would be considered terrorists.
Putin on Thursday welcomed the US-backed 30-day ceasefire plan in Ukraine, also accepted by Kyiv, but said any truce must lead to a final settlement that would address the root causes of the conflict. He met US special envoy Steven Witkoff on Thursday.
The US, since the inauguration of Trump, has been actively involved in diplomatic efforts to end the over three-year-long war, engaging in talks with both Ukraine and Russia.
Earlier this week, US and Ukrainian delegations met in the Saudi city of Jeddah. While Ukraine agreed to the temporary truce, the US resumed intelligence sharing and military aid it had suspended after a public spat between Trump, US Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House.
Earlier, American and Russian officials met in Riyadh on Feb. 18 and agreed to lay the groundwork for peace talks and improve bilateral relations.
The two sides then met in Istanbul on Feb. 27 to normalize operations of their embassies.
