Trump announces ‘productive’ talks with Putin, says war may ‘finally come to an end’

President Donald Trump took to social media to announce a “good and productive” talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The president suggested that following talks with Putin on Thursday, there is a “very good chance” the conflict with Ukraine and the years-long war will “finally come to an end.”

But Trump warned that Ukrainian soldiers could face a “massacre” as they were “surrounded” in the Kursk region in Russia, and said he made a strong request to Putin about sparing their lives.

“We had very good and productive discussions with President Vladimir Putin of Russia yesterday, and there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end,” Trump shared on Truth Social Friday.

“BUT, AT THIS VERY MOMENT, THOUSANDS OF UKRAINIAN TROOPS ARE COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY, AND IN A VERY BAD AND VULNERABLE POSITION,” Trump added in all caps.

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

The president referred to the meeting between his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the Russian president in Moscow.

Putin agreed in principle with a ceasefire agreement but said “there are issues that we need to discuss, and I think that we need to discuss it with our American colleagues and partners” first.

#BREAKING: Russia agrees with the temporary ceasefire in Ukraine after Trump sent Rubio and Witkoff to help broker it.

This is the Art of the Deal in action! And COUNTLESS lives will be saved.

Putin thanked President Trump for his efforts, and says he wants to speak with him… pic.twitter.com/OgjgUG42zH

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 13, 2025

“We agree with the proposals to halt the fighting, but we proceed from the assumption that the ceasefire should lead to lasting peace and remove the root causes of the crisis,” he said during a news conference.

He also asked how a ceasefire would unfold.

“Who will give orders to cease hostilities, and what will these orders be worth?” Putin asked.

Ukraine’s President Volodomyr Zelenskyy blasted Putin’s “manipulation.”

“Putin, of course, is afraid to tell President Trump directly that he wants to continue this war, wants to kill Ukrainians. And that is why, in Moscow, they are setting the idea of [a ceasefire] with such preconditions that nothing will work out at all or that it will not work out for as long as possible,” he said in a video address. “Putin often does this – he does not say “no” directly, but does so in a way that only delays everything and makes normal decisions impossible. We believe that all this is now another Russian manipulation.”

Senior Staff Writer
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.

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