A few hours later, after US President Donald Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to spare Ukrainian soldiers in Kursk, Putin demanded their surrender.

Putin Responds to Trump’s Request

In response to Trump’s plea, Putin addressed the situation in a televised speech. “We are sympathetic to President Trump’s call. If they lay down their arms and surrender, they will be guaranteed life and dignified treatment,” he said, according to reports. Moreover, he repeated his demand from the previous day. He insisted that Ukraine must surrender in Kursk before Russia considers a 30-day ceasefire. “In order to effectively implement the U.S. president’s call, (there needs to be) a corresponding order from Ukraine’s military-political leadership to its military to lay down their arms and surrender,” Putin stated.

Russia Threatens Ukraine

At the same time, Russian official Dmitry Medvedev issued a warning. He stated that if Ukrainian forces refused to surrender in Kursk, Russian troops would “methodically and mercilessly destroy” them. Meanwhile, both Trump and Putin claimed Ukrainian soldiers were surrounded. However, independent analysts and Ukraine’s government denied this. While they acknowledged Russia had made advances in Kursk, they insisted Ukrainian troops were not trapped or facing immediate danger.

Trump Pleads for Ukrainian Soldiers

Earlier in the day, Trump took to Truth Social to make a direct appeal to Putin. He claimed he had personally urged the Russian leader to spare Ukrainian troops. “At this very moment, thousands of Ukrainian troops are completely surrounded by the Russian military and in a very bad and vulnerable position. 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 wrote.

Putin Sets Ceasefire Conditions

However, Putin agreed to consider a 30-day ceasefire only under strict conditions:

• Ukrainian troops in Kursk must surrender and cannot withdraw.
• Ukraine must stop receiving weapons during the ceasefire.
• Ukraine cannot mobilize or train soldiers during this period.
• Ukraine Denies Encirclement Claims

Nevertheless, Ukraine’s military dismissed Russian claims. Officials stated that Russia was spreading false information to pressure Ukraine and its allies. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Ukrainian General Staff denied the encirclement. “The situation has not changed significantly over the past day. Combat operations in the operational zone of the Kursk group of forces continue. Units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine have regrouped, withdrawn to more advantageous defense lines, and are carrying out their assigned tasks in the Kursk region. Our soldiers are repelling the enemy’s offensive actions and inflicting effective fire damage with all types of weapons. Since the beginning of the current day, there have been 13 combat clashes in the Kursk direction. There is no threat of encirclement of our units,” the statement said.

Battle for Kursk Continues

Despite Russia’s claims, Ukrainian forces continue to fight. They are repositioning, resisting Russian attacks, and defending their territory. As a result, global leaders are closely monitoring the situation. Political tensions remain high, and the outcome is uncertain.